Sir, - I echo Dr James Gardiner's sentiments (July 5th).
The absence of a dedicated conference centre in Dublin is a continuing source of embarrassment to me and my colleagues. Like Dr Gardiner, I have been approached by many colleagues to host major international haematology meetings in Dublin. The most recent offer was to hold the Millennium Meeting of the European Haematology Association in Dublin. Needless to say, as with previous offers, I have had to refuse because of the lack of proper conference facilities in Dublin. The average size of haematology meetings is between 3,000-5,000 delegates but other specialities such as respiratory medicine, surgical specialities or for example, the American Society of Haematology may have upwards of 18,00020,000 delegates.
Coupled with this, the CBI has informed me that medical meetings generate large income for the city and surrounding areas in which the meetings are held. I have been in personal communication with Dr Jim McDaid and I have been in correspondence with Mr McCreevy's secretary. I am informed that, after considerable research, they estimate that the majority of conferences are attended by less than 2,000 delegates. I have no idea where this research was carried out and certainly within the world of medicine, this is totally and utterly untrue. If this were the fact why would there be conference centres in England and Scotland capable of holding well in excess of 2,000 delegates.
If the current conference centre planning goes ahead for a facility catering for 2,000 delegates, then obviously no significant international medical meeting will ever be held in Ireland again. I fail to understand why the hotel and restaurant community and the CBI cannot bring pressure to bear to build a conference centre which would attract these major meetings to Dublin. - Yours, etc., Shaun R McCann, MB, FRCPI, FRCPath, FRCPEdin,
Professor of Haematology, St James's Hospital and Trinity College Dublin.