A chara, – The announcement of the proposed site for the National Children’s Hospital is imminent. All are agreed that the major and fundamental criteria for deciding on its location should be the optimisation of medical care for the children of Ireland. In this regard there would appear to be little difference in the alleged two favoured sites. St James’s would fulfil many of the criteria required. However, one could argue that the Mater site already holds the “lead” in terms of the number of assessment committees that have recommended it, including arguably the most internationally prestigious and expert of groups which most recently found in it’s favour.
Thus, if the Mater is not chosen it will not be because of its inability to provide a site worthy of a world-class facility. We should not forget that the issue is simply a planning approval problem. Given that a quoted sum of between €27 and €50 million has already been spent on feasibility studies, it should be possible to make minor changes to the, admittedly, intrusive design, particularly in the light of the generous offer to donate the original Mater building to the HSE by the Sisters of Mercy to house administrative and research work exclusively on behalf of the National Children’s Hospital.
Quite apart from the well flagged benefit that tri-location with an adult hospital and the Rotunda Maternity Hospital on the Mater site, there is another massive potential advantage of incalculable worth and little cost. This benefit would be the rejuvenation of the North inner city. My daily commute to work involves walking between Connolly Station and Eccles Street. This is not a particularly scenic or pleasant walk. It displays a level of deprivation, decay, squalor, substance abuse and disease that has to be seen to be believed.
Thus, given that there is no major suitability issue concerning the location of the National Children’s Hospital at the Mater site apart from merely a planning one, I would humbly suggest that other potential benefits and issues should also be considered when the decision is made. – Is mise,