Children’s hospital funding decision set for September

A DECISION on the funding of a new national children’s hospital has been put off until September when the Government will establish how much money is available for the project.

The Cabinet yesterday agreed in principle to a scaled-down hospital at the site of Dublin’s Mater as recommended by an independent review by international experts.

But a final decision on going ahead with the €650 million development will not be made until the review of capital spending is signed off on in the autumn.

A sum of €400m had been committed to the project by the previous administration, and contained in the National Development Plan. The remaining cost was due to be met mostly by charitable or philanthropic donations.

But despite a pledge in the programme for government to go ahead with the hospital, the coalition said yesterday the budget for the hospital has yet to be approved.

“The issue of funding, like any other project will be part of a capital spending review which will be signed off on in September,” a Government spokesperson said.

An application for planning permission will be made in the meantime and it’s expected to be early next year before a decision is made by An Bord Pleanála.

The hospital was originally scheduled to open in 2013 and that deadline had since been pushed back to 2015.

Health Minister, James Reilly, will outline plans for the project today based on the report he sought after becoming minister because question marks remained over the location of the hospital in Dublin city centre.

The cabinet endorsed all recommendations in the report, which is believed to include a reduction of the 16 storeys in the original plan.

Professor in Paediatrics, Brendan Drumm, who is on the development board for the national children’s hospital said he was confident that funding will be made available.

“This money was put aside in the capital plan going back a number of years,” he said.