Economic and social benefit for Dublin 8 a key consideration for the Children’s Hospital- Byrne

Fine Gael Dublin South Central TD, Catherine Byrne, has said that economic and social benefit for Dublin 8 is a key consideration for the new children’s hospital. Byrne was speaking in advance of the planning application for the hospital being lodged with An Bord Pleanála today (Monday).

“I wholeheartedly support the children’s hospital project and its location on the St. James’s Hospital site in Dublin 8. It is great to see this project going to planning today.

“I know that some local people have concerns and I would like to see any remaining issues resolved in the proper manner through the planning process.

“However we have been talking about the new children’s hospital for far too long and the children of Ireland deserve the world class facility proposed in this project. It is time to get it built.

“A very cooperative approach has been taken with this project and it is clear that the hospital will bring huge economic and social benefit to Dublin 8. A study is being carried out to audit the existing skills and labour available in the area. This is to best prepare for the job opportunities that are going to arise in the construction phase and once the hospital is up and running. Local people can really stand to benefit from this..

“Another very positive aspect of this process, is that the staff and users of Ireland’s three existing children’s hospitals have helped to inform the plans for their new hospital. There were over 1,000 hours of engagement and consultation with staff from the existing three children’s hospitals, the Clinical Leads in Paediatric Specialities, with families, young people and children who are former or current users of the service, as well as with residents from the local Dublin 8 area.

“Twenty three community based organisations have been consulted as part of a process to maximise community benefit from the hospital and full details of these plans will be available in the Autumn.

“The new children’s hospital will mean world-class healthcare for children and it has the potential to create and sustain hundreds jobs during construction and in the long term and will be really good for Dublin 8.”