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Opposition mounts to planned location of new National Children's Hospital

Opposition to the site of the new National Children's Hospital is mounting. 80% of the country's ...
Newstalk
Newstalk

12.29 4 May 2016


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Opposition mounts to planned l...

Opposition mounts to planned location of new National Children's Hospital

Newstalk
Newstalk

12.29 4 May 2016


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Opposition to the site of the new National Children's Hospital is mounting.

80% of the country's County Councils have so far passed a motion against the planned location on the grounds of St James' Hospital in Dublin, according to the Connolly for Kids Hospital group.

The motion calls on Enda Kenny to review the decision to build the new hospital at the city centre location, and calling for it to be instead located at a 'green field' site with Connolly Hospital off the M50 motorway.

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Planning permission for the St James's site was granted last week.

Building work is expected to be completed by the year 2020, at a cost of €650 million.

Under the plans, the existing children's hospitals in Crumlin, Temple Street and Tallaght will close, with staff transferred to the new city centre location.

A maternity hospital will also be built on the same site - but retired pediatrician Dr Finn Breathnach of Connolly for Kids Hospital says the location comes with many conditions attached.

Speaking to Pat Kenny, Dr Breathnach argued, "they have to knock down the lovely outpatient department in James's, which is highly regarded - but you've got to build it somewhere else because you can't do without an outpatient department.

"And you have to knock down their intensive care unit and build a new one... You have to build a new adult accident & emergency department... Then you can start building your maternity hospital. I mean you couldn't make it up," he added.


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