Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 802 and 803 together.

On 28 April, An Bord Pleanála granted planning permission for the new children’s hospital on the campus shared with St. James’s Hospital and for satellite urgent care centres on the campuses of Tallaght and Connolly Hospital. The decision means that enabling works can commence this summer. It is expected that the satellite centres will open in 2018 with building work completed on the main site in 2020.

During the design process, there has been extensive engagement and consultation with families, young people and children who are former or current users of the service, with staff from the existing three children’s hospitals and with local residents. This has led to the development of a world-class building which has been designed to enable staff to deliver the best possible clinical care for children and young people. The planned accommodation will include facilities for inpatients, day care patients, outpatients, operating theatres and emergency care. There will be 380 inpatient rooms, all of which will be single en-suite rooms with in-room parent accommodation, 93 day-care beds and 20 operating theatres. The hospital will also include play areas, external gardens and courtyards.

In relation to access, the campus at St. James’s hospital benefits from a full suite of transport options including private car, national rail, Luas, bus, bicycle, pedestrian and taxi.

Notwithstanding the public transport accessibility of the site, the need of most parents to access the hospital by car is recognised, and ample parking has been provided for families based on current and projected future demand. 1,000 car parking spaces are being provided, with a minimum of 675 of these intended to accommodate family parking. This is based on an assessment of the level of parking demand, developed in consultation with the medical planning team. The NPHDB has confirmed that this level of parking provision will facilitate 100% car parking provision for inpatient, day case and emergency attendances, and 65% car parking provision for outpatient attendances. The car parking stock and appointment schedules will be actively managed to ensure that all patients wishing to avail of parking will be facilitated. In addition, a condition of the planning permission granted by An Bord Pleanála is that a minimum of 20 spaces be marked and designated as “parent and child” spaces and reserved for parents of children with specific needs (equipment etc.).

In regard to parking costs, these will be considered in due course having regard to the needs of patients and families, including families of long-stay patients.