Sir, – I look forward to seeing thousands of Irish families emigrating to western Canada and availing of the vast number of job opportunities on offer. On that note, should the HSE build the children’s hospital here in Alberta? – Yours, etc,
Sir, – As both an architect, and founding member of Children’s Hospital in Leukaemia Drive (Child), I wish to comment on An Bord Pleanála’s decision to refuse planning permission for the new children’s hospital.
As an architect, I am not surprised the proposed hospital was refused planning permission. I see it as a good decision, upholding the principles of proper planning and development, and in the interest of the common good. However, it is very upsetting that this “concept hospital”, project has drifted aimlessly since 1998, It has been hijacked by politicians, business people and celebrities. It has been passed from one “expert” group to the next, and what is most unacceptable is that it has been used as an excuse for under-resourcing the existing children’s hospitals.
In my capacity as a founding member of CHILD, I represented for many years the needs of seriously ill children, and was privileged to be an advocate on their behalf. I attended meetings with health officials, expert groups, consultants, and the minister for health: and what was always apparent was a single-mindedness in not wanting to listen, and a total unwillingness to entertain observations, no matter how wise, on a project such as this.
This attitude is borne out by the Coalition Government’s call to now build “a hospital”, on the Mater site.
To justify this end, since 1998, the HSE, has embarked on a programme of closures of paediatric hospital facilities, including the purpose-built, new, haematology unit, and transplant unit, at the flagship Tallaght Hospital, and from a positive perspective nothing new has been put in place. And yes, the children have suffered, they certainly have suffered, not, as some might suggest, because the new hospital, 14 years on, has failed to materialise, but because acute funding has been curtailed, or diverted to fund the endless waste that is the “Mater hospital” debacle.
The late correspondent, and respected surgeon, Maurice Neligan, rightfully said that this issue should not be about the needs of consultants and others, but should be about the “needs of sick children”.
Many of the brave and wonderful children whom I knew and represented have passed away, and I am deeply saddened that their lives could have been made more comfortable and tolerable if their needs had been considered by the “decision-makers”. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Dublin’s Phoenix Park should be considered as an alternative site for the proposed children’s hospital.
The Rotunda Hospital could be relocated to the same site, thus returning Parnell Square to its historic configuration (excepting the Garden of Remembrance).
An international design competition organised under the auspices of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland could deliver a new proposal within six months. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Birmingham has a population of 1.1 million, a single 1,200- bedded acute general teaching hospital, a single 300-bedded children’s hospital and a standalone maternity hospital. Dublin (same population) has six acute general teaching hospitals, three children’s hospitals and three maternity hospitals.
Does anyone in Government have enough vision to build a new state-of-the-art adult, paediatric and maternity hospital on a single green field site somewhere along the M50; and of course decommission all the others (we don’t close hospitals in Ireland)? Just think of the quality of care we could deliver to our citizens; and of course the vast savings in running costs.
Ah . . . is that a pig I see flying past my window? – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Please forgive my ignorance about the workings of the Government and An Bord Pleanála. Why did the architects for the children’s hospital not make a phonecall to An Bord Pleanála, prior to constructing the model, and ask: “How many floors are permissible for the proposed hospital?”
Or more interestingly, why did An Bord Pleanála not call the architects, when the design for the hospital was first make public, and tell them their proposed number of floors was not acceptable. Once again, forgive my ignorance – I am certain I am missing something – I have to be. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Some may recall the architectural competition for the design of Tallaght hospital. Many excellent designs were prepared, some with international input: and they are still available. While these are not children’s hospitals, it would not be rocket science to modify any of these schemes to suit present needs quickly.
They were designed for a greenfield site without the severe restrictions imposed by shoehorning onto an inner city site. Most were capable of expansion which,despite denials, will be required some time. Any site near the M50 would suit our very mobile population, be they city dwellers or equally important country dwellers who have been largely ignored in the present debacle. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Ireland Inc wanted to build a hospital – but Ireland Inc wouldn’t allow them.
What am I missing? – Yours, etc,