Temple St chairman supports Harney in children's hospital row

The chairman of Temple St Children's Hospital Donal Walsh has come out in support of the new Children's Hospital at the Mater site in Dublin.

It comes after the former chairman of the new hospital broke his silence yesterday over why he resigned from his post.

Philip Lynch cited "significant and fundamental" differences over the funding and planning of the facility with the Health Minister Mary Harney.

In a statement Donal Walsh said the Minister for Health was correct to ask Philip Lynch to resign as he had departed from the mandate he was given.

He said he welcomed the appointment ofbusinessman John Gallagher as the chairman of the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board.

"The new hospital is hugely important and a necessary initiative for Ireland and the healthcare of Irish children," he said.

"It is imperative to combine the services of the three existing national paediatric hospitals. The new Children’s Hospital of Ireland will be at the centre of a national paediatric network, linked to regional and local hospitals and to primary and community services."