Ronald McDonald House charity to spend €66m on new €28.47m facility

The new National Children's Hospital in Dublin where the Ronald McDonald House will be built. Picture: Brian Lawless

The Ronald McDonald House charity is to spend €66m on the €28.47m Ronald McDonald House at the new National Children’s Hospital over the next 25 years.

Work is currently advanced on the 52 ensuite bedroom Ronald McDonald House. 

The keys are due to be handed over to the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) Ireland in November.

RMHC has confirmed it is providing €10m towards the €28.47m capital spend with the HSE funding the remainder.

One of those to benefit from the existing Ronald McDonald House at CHI Crumlin is Co Clare mother, Jane O’Leary who has described the service as "priceless".

A spokeswoman for RMHC Ireland said that along with the €10m capital contribution, it is "gifting our current purpose-built facility at CHI Crumlin to CHI, which has an estimated value of €5m”.

She said that in addition, RMHC Ireland "will cover all operational costs of running the House over the next 25 years, at no cost to the State — estimated at over €1.6m annually, based on projected inflation — bringing our total contribution to the State and to families to over €66m across that timeframe".

The spokeswoman said that the project “is within budget”.

The HSE will own the completed building, and it will be leased to the charity.

The accounts for RMHC show that a further €1.5m is committed for fit out and commissioning costs of the new Ronald McDonald House.

The spokeswoman added: “This new house will more than double our current capacity at CHI Crumlin, where we have 20 rooms."

Reflecting on her time spent at the Ronald McDonald House in 2021, Jane O’Leary said that their daughter Imogen was born on March 24, 2021, in the height of covid restrictions.

Jane said Imogen “was born with an undiagnosed congenital diaphragmatic hernia in Limerick Maternity Hospital and within hours she had to be transferred by Crumlin Ambulance service to Crumlin Children’s Hospital in Dublin”.

Jane said: “It was such a traumatic time, an extremely sick baby, first-time parents, homeless in Dublin being from Clare and no family support around us due to travel restrictions.

She said: “We will never be able to fully express our gratitude and appreciation to the staff of the Ronald Mc Donald House. 

"Not only did they provide us with a place to live on the hospital grounds only minutes from the paediatric intensive care unit where Imogen was fighting for life and to be strong enough to undergo life saving surgery, but they provided us with compassion and care on the most challenging days.”