Minister for Health announces two satellite centres of the new children’s hospital

The Minister for Health, Dr. James Reilly, today (28th January 2014) announced that construction of satellite centres of the new children’s hospital will go ahead on the campus of Tallaght Hospital on the southside of Dublin and Connolly Hospital on the northside of Dublin.  

Both centres will be established in advance of the main hospital opening, with an estimated completion date of mid-2016, subject to detailed site studies and planning consent.

The satellite centres are being developed in order to enhance access to emergency/urgent care facilities for children in the Greater Dublin Area. As well as urgent care, each centre will also provide secondary acute outpatient services, including rapid access general paediatric clinics.

Minister Reilly said: “For children in the Greater Dublin Area, the development of satellite centres ensures they have the best possible access to urgent care and outpatient services.  At the same time, in deciding what services are to be provided in these centres, we have been careful to ensure that we can still develop specialist outreach from the main hospital to paediatric units around the country, for children throughout Ireland.” 

Dr. Jim Browne, Chair of the Children’s Hospital Group Board, said: “The Minister’s decision on the  satellite centres is another important step forward for the project  and  I am confident it will support the best outcomes for children both in Dublin and throughout Ireland.  We can look forward now to planning in an integrated manner for the transition to both the satellite centres and the new hospital.”

Tom Costello, Chair of the National Paediatric Hospital Development Group Board, said: “I very much welcome the Minister’s decision on the satellite centres.  This is another key milestone in the development of the new children’s hospital.  I am confident that the locations selected will enable us to get these centres built in line with our target date of mid 2016 – well in advance of the opening of the main hospital.”