Tallaght 'a viable option' as site for National Maternity Hospital 

The proposed move of the NMH from Holles Street to St Vincent’s Hospital has been plunged into controversy. Picture: Mark Stedman/RollingNews.ie

Alternative locations for the National Maternity Hospital (NMH), including at Tallaght, have been examined in case the deal with St Vincent’s Hospital falls apart.

Given the length of time the project has already taken, it has been confirmed that officials have examined other scenarios whereby the new hospital could be built alongside one of the major adult hospitals.

Senior Government sources, speaking to the Irish Examiner, confirmed that Tallaght is a “viable option” but the preference remains to move to St Vincent’s.

Tallaght instead of St Vincent’s

A former master of the NMH has claimed that a minister informed him that the new maternity hospital may be located at Tallaght instead of St Vincent’s.

The proposed move of the NMH from Holles Street in Dublin city centre to St Vincent’s Hospital at Elm Park has again been plunged into controversy after the hospital group rejected Government offers to buy the proposed site for it.

Speaking on RTÉ, Peter Boylan said he had a conversation with Higher Education Minister Simon Harris last weekend during which the comments were made.

A spokeswoman for Mr Harris, a former minister for health, confirmed the two men met but would not divulge the conversation as it was private.

Meanwhile, Taoiseach Micheál Martin urged the St Vincent's Healthcare Group to "take note of the consensus in the Oireachtas" in relation to the new NMH and to "respond appropriately".