Green light for children’s hospital

A TEAM of international experts is believed to have endorsed plans to build a national children’s hospital on the Mater Hospital campus.

The endorsement clears the way for Health Minister James Reilly to announce that the €650 million hospital will go ahead at the controversial site, where more than €30m has been spent.

If the minister goes ahead tomorrow with existing plans for the hospital, without material variation, then the project’s development board could lodge an application for planning permission by the end of next week. If there are changes to the plans, the planning process could be set back by at least six months.