Howlin: Several years before we can equip National Children's Hospital

The Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin has downplayed reports that there is no money to equip the National Children's Hospital.

It comes after a letter between Health Minister Leo Varadkar and Mr Howlin, dating back to August, was published in the Irish Times this morning.

In it, Minister Varadkar said there were enough funds to finish the building on the St James's site, but not to kit it out to an acceptable level.

However, Brendan Howlin says that is not the case.

He said: "What you can selectively do, and look at correspondence between the departments in the run-up to the Budget, as departments line up to look for more money, my department says 'let's look at it'.

"It will be several years before we are in a position to equip it (National Children's Hospital). We haven't started building it yet.

"I can assure you and assure the public that it will be fully equipped and fully staffed when we get it up and running."