Children's Hospital site 'could be revealed tomorrow'

A location for the new long-awaited National Children’s Hospital could be revealed as soon as tomorrow after it is discussed by the Cabinet.

Children's Hospital site 'could be revealed tomorrow'

A location for the new long-awaited National Children’s Hospital could be revealed as soon as tomorrow after it is discussed by the Cabinet.

Health Minister James Reilly said he hopes his Government colleagues will back his recommendation for a site for the facility, which will be based on an independent report.

It is understood the preferred option is next to St James’s Hospital in Dublin’s south inner city and linked with the nearby Coombe Women’s Hospital.

However, the minister confirmed the original 2016 timescale for the provision of the hospital is “no longer achievable” after the original Mater Hospital site was refused by planners.

“The first question is will it go to Cabinet tomorrow? I can confirm it will,” said Dr Reilly.

“The second question is will the Cabinet decide tomorrow? I hope so.

“And thirdly, will it be built by 2016?

“That was the original intention before we ran into planning issues at the Mater site, so I do not think that is achievable anymore.”

Elsewhere, Dr Reilly rejected claims there will be a further two-and-a-half year delay, and added costs of up to €140m, if the new hospital is moved to another site.

Construction of the new facility, which will merge the three children’s hospitals – Temple Street, Crumlin and Tallaght – was originally due to start in 2011 and open by late 2014.

But the controversial project suffered several set-backs, which led to review by an international taskforce and the resignation of a number of board members appointed to lead the build.

In February, An Bord Pleanála rejected proposals to build the €650m facility next to the Mater, arguing the building – at 15 storeys, 74 metres (242ft) high and more than 100,000 square feet – was too large and out of place in the north Dublin Georgian city skyline.

An expert group, spearheaded by former Health Service Executive chief Frank Dolphin, was later appointed to consider different locations for the state-of-the-art facility.

They included co-location with St James’ Hospital, Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown, Tallaght Hospital or downsizing the original plans for the Mater, or a new build on a site in Belcamp in Dr Reilly’s north Dublin constituency or at Newlands Cross in the west of the city.

The group, made up of planning experts, doctors and architects, did not rank the different sites considered, but left the Minister to consider observations made in the report.

It later emerged Labour leader and Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has also got his officials to examine different options so he had the facts before Dr Reilly brought the final decision to Government.

It is understood the Dolphin Group has found there would be little difference between the construction time at St James’s or the Mater, of at least three to three-and-a-half years.

Elsewhere, a new build at Connolly Hospital would be the fastest location, saving between six to nine months, whereas a hospital could be on a greenfield site within nine months, it is reported.

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