National children’s hospital project underway as architects appointed – Byrne

Fine Gael TD for Dublin South Central, Catherine Byrne, has welcomed the announcement by Minister for Health, Leo Varadkar TD, that international design practice, BDP, have been appointed as architects for the new children’s hospital on the St. James’s Hospital site in Dublin 8.

“We have been talking about the new children’s hospital for far too long; St. James’s Hospital has been selected as the site for the hospital and it is now time to get working on the project.

“The new hospital will provide 384 in-patient beds including 62 critical care beds, there will be 85 daycare beds, 14 theatres in total and 111 outpatient consulting examination rooms. The hospital will provide world-class care and treatment for a projected 28,258 inpatients per year, over 220,000 outpatient will receive care and there will also be purpose built accommodation for parents. This hospital is long overdue and I am delighted that the wheels are now in motion for building to start as soon as possible.

“The design team is expected to finish its work early in the summer in order to secure planning permission and enable works next year at St James’s. Work will also start next year at the satellite centres in Tallaght and Blanchardstown.

“This Government has done what others before have not or would not; we have confirmed the site for the much needed children’s hospital and we are following through on our promise to make this a reality. A world-class team have been selected to ensure that a hospital without precedent is built to provide the finest medical facilities, delivering the best environment and treatment for children.

“ The children’s hospital at St James’s will be hugely beneficial to the local area; it will support local business and encourage development. The Government is focused on continuing to secure the recovery and to continue to create jobs. The advancement of the children’s hospital project brings us closer to providing world-class healthcare for children and it has the potential to create and sustain hundreds jobs during construction and in the long term.”