National children’s hospital

Looking to Liverpool

Sir, – The National Children’s Hospital is not “a really big project of a kind never attempted in the country before” (“Why do big infrastructure projects always take so long in Ireland?”, Opinion & Analysis, July 22nd). The 223-bed Crumlin Hospital was opened without vicissitude in 1956.

The present paediatric via dolorosa began in 1993 when a single tertiary children’s hospital in Dublin was proposed.

The resulting phantasmagoria of mirage and illusion is giving us a bill of €2 billion and no finishing date.

For comparison, Liverpool’s world-renowned, 270-bed Alder Hey Children’s Hospital was built between March 2013 and October 2015 for €215 million. – Yours, etc,

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Dr JOHN DOHERTY,

Gaoth Dobhair,

Co Dhún na nGall.