THE NEW national children’s hospital, into which the existing three children’s hospitals in Dublin are due to be merged, is not now expected to be built until 2014.
Minister for Health Mary Harney gave the new timeframe for completion of the project when replying to a parliamentary question from the Sinn Féin Dublin South Central TD, Aengus Ó Snodaigh.
After the Mater hospital site was controversially chosen for the new national children’s hospital in 2006, Ms Harney said she hoped the hospital would be built by 2011.
Then last year, the Health Service Executive (HSE) said 2012 was the target date for completion of construction work on the new facility.
Mr Ó Snodaigh, who has supported efforts to keep Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin open rather than have it move to the Mater site, questioned whether, in view of the state of the public finances, a reappraisal of the plan to build the new national children’s hospital at the Mater was warranted.
However, Ms Harney stressed in her reply that the project was proceeding.
“The development of the national paediatric hospital is a priority project for the Government.
“The project is proceeding as planned and is being overseen by the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board which was established in May 2007.
“The HSE is working closely with the board in progressing the project, which is scheduled for completion in 2014,” she said.
Meanwhile, in reply to another parliamentary question, Ms Harney confirmed €5.3 million had been spent on the new children’s hospital to date “in progressing the planning of the new hospital”.
Responding to a written parliamentary question from Brian Hayes TD (Fine Gael) on a different matter, she said there was just one person employed in her department at the grade of professional accountant.