Minister wants planning permission for new national children’s hospital by end of 2014

The Government is hoping that planning permission will be secured for the new national paediatric hospital by the end of 2014, Minister for Health James Reilly has said.

He told the Dáil last week that a tender process for the procurement of a new design team for the project was well under way.

Design teams
He said he hoped to have the design teams for the new children's facility, which is to be built on the campus of St James's Hospital in Dublin, in place by the end of this year.

Dr Reilly also said that a review of the configuration of urgent care centres for children was almost complete.

"The number and location of these satellite centres in the Dublin area is a key decision, as the size, activity and infrastructure of these satellite centre(s) has implications for the main hospital brief," Dr Reilly said in a reply to a parliamentary question tabled by Nicky McFadden of Fine Gael.

Earlier this month Dr Reilly said the new national children’s hospital would be completed by 2018.

He said lessons had been learned from the previous attempt to develop the facility on the campus of the Mater hospital in Dublin, which had ended in failure.

The Minister told the Dáil that he had made a number of appointments over recent times aimed at facilitating the development of the new hospital.

"Last month I announced appointments to the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board to replace the transitional board which had been in place since January 2013. These appointments ensure appropriate professional membership with the necessary capital development expertise and experience in complex healthcare capital projects.

"Also in August I announced the appointment of members to the Children's Hospital Group Board [CHGB].

Integration
"The CHGB will oversee the operational integration of the three existing paediatric hospitals in advance of the move to the new hospital and is also the client for the new hospital, and hence is critically important for the project as a whole.

"Earlier this month, Ms Eilísh Hardiman was selected as chief executive officer of the Children's Hospital Group following an open recruitment process through the Public Appointments Service."