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Foundation stone for new children’s hospital cast
Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Health Minister Simon Harris, with members of the Youth Advisory Council, today cast the foundation stone for the new children’s hospital.
The children, current and former users of the children’s hospital services, and the Taoiseach embedded their hands into a mould which will be cast in cement and incorporated into the new hospital.
This milestone event follows the recent approval by Government of the investment required to enable the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board to award the construction contracts for the building of the main children’s hospital on the St James’s Hospital campus and the two Paediatric Outpatients and Urgent Care Centres on the Tallaght and Connolly Hospitals campuses. The installation of the foundations is expected within a matter of weeks.
The Taoiseach and Minister Harris visited the site of the new children’s hospital on a campus shared with St. James’s. As the enabling works conclude, the 12 acre site is clear and ready for commencement of construction.
The Taoiseach spoke about the significance of the project:
The children’s hospital is one of the most exciting public capital projects that this country has ever embarked on. We are finally here, with the foundation stone cast, and ready to build the world class paediatric hospital that our children need and deserve.
Health Minister Simon Harris said:
The new children’s hospital is an extraordinary opportunity to transform paediatric services for children in Ireland by bringing together patients and staff from across the three existing children’s hospitals into a single organisation, which will improve the experience and outcomes for children and their families.
For more information read the press release here.