The Government is being asked to clarify if the Rotunda maternity hospital will remain in Dublin city centre in the foreseeable future, as part of a Labour plan to encourage the national planning body to reconsider a controversial appeal against a new critical care unit.
It emerged last month that An Coimisiún Pleanála had struck down plans for a €100 million extension of the Rotunda Hospital intended to care for critically ill women and infants.
The decision came after the planning commission agreed with objectors that the critical care unit would fail to protect the “existing architectural and civic design character of the site, or Parnell Square generally”.
An Coimisiún Pleanála had claimed that the development did not represent “an overwhelming public benefit sufficient to justify the degree of heritage harm identified”. The planning commission had noted in its decision that Government policy was to co-locate the Rotunda with Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown in the medium term.
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Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill had suggested last month that it was “difficult” to see the Rotunda co-locating with Connolly hospital in the short term.
“But the Rotunda works well with the Mater, and of all of the maternity hospitals, it’s the one that I would very seriously have to be convinced a different path is appropriate than the one it currently has,” she had said.
Carroll MacNeill had said that if the Rotunda was relocated, the time it would take to do that “would by far exceed the delivery time of this new critical care unit, which is needed now”.
However, the Government has declined to confirm if it has fully abandoned plans to move the maternity hospital.
Labour TD Marie Sherlock is bringing forward a Bill this week that would seek to force the Government to make a statement on whether or not the Rotunda will be relocated. The same Bill would give the planning commission the right to decide to reopen and reconsider the appeal against the critical care unit, on the basis of the Government’s position.
“Obviously, the prospect of any long and drawn-out fresh planning process or judicial review is appalling for the hospital, given that the need for a new critical care wing has been spoken about for many years. So the Bill aims to bring a speedy resolution, while still maintaining the independence of An Coimisiún Pleanála,” said Sherlock.
