DETAILS OF A plans to build the new National Children’s Hospital on the St. James’s site in Dublin city centre have been published today.

The plans were submitted at the request of the review group appointed by the health minister James Reilly.

According to the submission there is a 6.3 hectare (15 acre) site available which is owned by the HSE and St. James’s Hospital and there is a proposal to tri-locate paediatric, maternity and adult services on the campus.

The projected total cost for building both a new children’s hospital and a maternity facility is €604 million – €484 million for the children’s hospital and €120 million for the maternity unit. It’s also stated that the tri-location model would result in annual operational savings of €32 million.

The submission maintains that St. James’s is the best site in terms of accessibility, size, cost effectiveness and timely delivery. It’s estimated that building work could begin less that six months after planning permission is granted.

In February An Bord Pleanála refused planning permission for the hospital to be built on the site of the Mater in Dublin, and a number of other sites have been proposed, including the Tallaght Hospital Site, the Phoenix Park, a greenfield site near Dublin Airport, and on the site of the Coombe Hospital. Revised plans for the Mater site have also been submitted.

The board of Crumlin Children’s Hospital stated in April that the St. James’s site is the best option and said in a letter signed by Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, who is the chairman of the board that there are “exceptional opportunities on the St. James’s campus to further develop existing synergies with will directly benefit children and young people”.