Cabinet to discuss location of children's hospital
Cabinet ministers are expected to discuss the location of the new children's hospital at their weekly meeting this morning.
A leaked report suggests an expert group, which is advising the Government, recommends locating the facility on the grounds of St James' Hospital in Dublin.
After the Mater site on Dublin's North side ran into planning difficulties, the Government commissioned a report from an expert group, chaired by businessman Frank Dolphin, to determine the best location for the new children's hospital.
Today ministers are expected to discuss the Dolphin report, the leaked details of which suggest the best place to locate the hospital is on the grounds of St James' in Dublin.
The reason, it says, is because St James' has the broadest range of specialties but other sites like the Coombe and Connolly hospitals offer more scope for expansion.
Opposition parties said the priority must now be to get the hospital built as quickly as possible and ministers are under pressure to come to a decision on the location without any further delay.
