In an e-mail, obtained by the New Children’s Hospital Alliance under the Freedom of Information Acts, in which the reviewers are preparing the final version of the National Paediatric Hospital Independent Review (2011), the editor,
Jonathan Erskine, Executive Director, European Health Property Network, comments – “I removed ‘The ideal location would be located on green space, provide for unfettered access, accommodate research and educational activity, provide sufficient space to ensure the aggregation of all patient care services meeting current and future care requirements, and be tri-located with an adult tertiary care and a maternity facility. We agree that if there was a site and funding for such an aspirational location it would be a magnificent campus. Unfortunately, given the current challenge of funding the one children’s hospital the perfect location is not possible. Consequently the team considered those options that were viable.’
My concern here is that if the above text is included, the response will simply be that there is such an ideal site, and the issue will open up again.”
NCHA says – CONNOLLY is that IDEAL LOCATION, that MAGNIFICENT 143 ACRE CAMPUS. It became available in March 2012 , when Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, then Minister for Sports and Tourism, facilitated the offer of an extra 90 acres from Sports Campus Ireland to Connolly hospital after the Mater was refused planning permission [ABP 23/02/2012] and the Dolphin group was established to review potential sites for the NPH.