Labour launches bill which could reopen Rotunda Hospital planning appeal

New bill would compel the Government to clarify its position on co‑location — and if it says the Rotunda should remain at Parnell Square, the law would allow planning appeal to be reopened

Plan for the Rotunda was rejected partly because An Coimisiún Pleanála said Government policy still points towards relocating it to Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown. File picture: Sam Boal/Collins

The Labour Party has published legislation aimed at reopening the planning process for a €100m critical‑care wing at the Rotunda Hospital, after the project was refused permission last month.

Planning was rejected partly because An Coimisiún Pleanála said Government policy still points towards relocating the Rotunda to Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown — a plan first announced in 2015.

Labour health spokesperson Marie Sherlock said her bill would force the Government to formally clarify its position on co‑location. If ministers state that the hospital will remain at Parnell Square, the legislation would allow the planning appeal to be reopened so that updated policy can be considered.

Ms Sherlock said the refusal “did not happen in a vacuum” and accused Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil of failing to give planners a clear statement on the future of the hospital.

'Women and babies paying the price' 

“This vacuum has had real consequences. Planning decisions are being made without a clear Government position — and women and babies are paying the price," said Ms Sherlock.

“The minister for health has, on a number of occasions, failed to provide any written confirmation on the future of the Rotunda and Connolly co-location.

"It is utterly unacceptable that the Rotunda would have to issue a fresh planning application with the same uncertainty about its location hanging over it. 

"Furthermore, it is unconscionable that one arm of the State would feel forced to initiate judicial review proceedings against another arm of the State and in the process, incur a cost for the taxpayer running to hundreds of thousands of euro."

Ms Sherlock added: “Not only is the Rotunda a key part of the heritage of our city, it accounts for almost 40% of deliveries in Dublin. 

"The brilliant staff of the Rotunda achieve incredible outcomes in spite of the physical infrastructure and it is not acceptable that women, babies, and indeed staff would have to put up with sub-par facilities. 

Rotunda and Mater 'co-location' 

"The critical care wing has been spoken about for more than 20 years, and this Government could have and should have made its position clear during the planning process. 

"Furthermore, the reality is that the clinical structures between the nearby Mater University Hospital and the Rotunda have been intensifying in recent years. This is a form of co-location which the Government has properly failed to recognise."

Labour health spokesperson Marie Sherlock: 'The critical care wing has been spoken about for more than 20 years.' File picture: Brian Lawless/PA 

In 2015, the Government announced it was putting in place a plan for the Rotunda to relocate to Connolly Hospital.

Speaking last month, the health minister suggested that relocation may no longer be pursued, at least not in the short term.

“The Rotunda works well with the Mater, and of all of the maternity hospitals, it’s the one that I would very seriously have to be convinced a different path is appropriate than the one it currently has,” said Ms Carroll MacNeill.

'Co-location is still Government policy' 

At last week's hearing of the Oireachtas health committee, Department of Health assistant secretary Tracey Conroy told Ms Sherlock that co-location is still government policy.

"The current policy is co-location. There are very real patient-safety reasons and rationale underpinning that policy... the model of stand-alone maternity hospitals is not the norm internationally. That is why it was referenced in the maternity strategy a decade ago. That policy of co-location was agreed by Government in 2015.

"The Rotunda works closely with the Mater. The Mater is a model 4 hospital. It is located nearby. It has what they would call a 'protected blue-light corridor' to provide adult acute services should the need arise. 

"What we are currently looking at is exploring the options of what can potentially be done in augmenting that. That is one of the options that is being looked at in the context of trying to ensure this critical-care wing gets developed."

• Paul Hosford, Acting Political Editor