Harris rejects calls for national children’s hospital site move

Minister for Health Simon Harris has firmly rejected calls for the site of the new national children's hospital to be moved from St James's Hospital to Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown.

The cost of such a transition has not been assessed in any detail, but would require the abandonment of all work undertaken at St James’s Hospital up to now and a whole new design and planning process, he told the Oireachtas health committee.

“At best, this would lead to a delay in developing this hospital, and would mean that construction inflation would be likely to have a significant impact on project costs. Together with lost expenditure on the project to date, that could offset much if not all of any savings to be obtained from building on a greenfield site. That is the best case scenario. The truth is that such an application would have no guarantee of success.”

“And let us not forget that An Bord Pleanála’s report ruling on the planning permission for the hospital rightly referred to congestion on the M50, and seriously called into question the view that unfettered access to the Connolly site and to on-site car parking can be accommodated.”

Mr Harris, who was responding to claims made by the Connolly for Kids Hospital group at the committee last week, criticised the “offensive” language used by campaigners against St James’s Hospital.

“We can have disagreements but let’s not get into the gutter and attack the bona fides of the people involved in the project,” he said.

Any approach to pay restoration in the health service must be within the terms of what is available and affordable, Mr Harris warned.

Referring to the decision by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) to ballot on industrial action, he said he respected the union’s decision but this was not the way to address the medium or long-term needs of the public health system.

“This Government is committed to a collective approach to industrial relations and pay policy as the most effective means of delivering economic security and stability.”

Mr Harris said he was pleased that the INMO has again confirmed its commitment to the Lansdowne Road Agreement. A meeting with the union is planned next week.