According to yesterday’s Irish Times, work has begun on clearing some parts of the St. James’s Hospital campus which are to be used for the new National Children’s Hospital… “Eilish Hardiman started work as chief executive of the Children’s Hospital Group on Friday and work has started to decant existing activities on the site at the west end of St James’s in order to make way for the new building”.
This could be great news for Dublin 8, as the major local urban regeneration project could lead to huge improvements in infrastructure locally. The new hospital is also expected to create extra jobs both directly and indirectly within the Dublin 8 area.
However, there are still those who oppose using the local site as our new Irish National Children’s Hospital, including An Taisce. They have published an open letter to the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, relaying their fears about it not being co-located with a full maternity hospital. You can read their open letter to the Taoiseach here.
Meanwhile, as work continues on getting ready for tendering, and as the clear-out of parts of the St. James’s site begins, locals can keep up to date with progress on a new website which is devoted to the project – NewChildrensHospital.ie. You can also read the case for the St James’s site being the most viable for the new hospital, and view some artists impressions of the proposed development here.
IMAGE ABOVE: The entrance to St. James’s Hospital, Dublin 8 – image credit: Heggyhomolit/Wikipedia
IMAGE: New National Childrens Hospital website.
Pictured at the Boards’ Induction Day, on 01 October 2013, Minister for Health, Dr James Reilly TD, with Dr Jim Browne, Chair, Children’s Hospital Group (CHG) Board, Ms Eilish Hardiman, CEO, CHG Board, and Mr Tom Costello, Chair, National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB).
