National paediatric hospital on track for 2018
The head of the Children’s Hospital Group said she is confident the National Paediatric Hospital will open its doors in 2018.
Planning permission was previously rejected for the hospital at the Mater Hospital site in Dublin, but the Group says it is confident the new hospital will secure planning permission next year.
Clearing of the site at St James’ Hospital in Dublin is underway, and construction is set to begin once planning permission is secured.
CEO of the Children’s Hospital Group Eilis Hardiman said they are confident they will get planning permission at the new site:
"There's two elements of planning - the first is healthcare planning, so the right place for it to go is on the St James' site," she said.
"The next element of planning, of course, is urban planning. Now, the reason why it didn't get through last time was over-densification of the site.
This is a very different site, actually – it's twice the size of the Mater site."
