A Clare member of the HSE’s Regional Health Forum West has criticised the Government’s handling of the Children’s Hospital controversy.
It comes as fresh doubt has been cast over the future of a planned 60-bed modular unit aimed at alleviating overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick.
But the Health Minister has challenged critics of the National Children’s Hospital to outline what they would have done differently as Clare FM’s Fiona McGarry reports:
On a visit to the Midwest in November, Health Minister Simon Harris confirmed €19.5 million in funding for the planned 60-bed modular unit, which is seen as key to addressing overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick.
But this funding has came into question in recent weeks after it emerged that some hosptial projects across the country would have to be put on the long finger as a resul;t of spiralling costs associated with the National Children’s Hospital.
Fresh doubt has now been cast over the future of the project, after the HSE said in response to a query from Labour TD Alan Kelly that it awaits confirmation of funding and the project will be assessed in the context of competing priorities.
Michael McNamara, a former Labour TD for Clare, claims the country’s health system is ‘appallingly mismanaged’.
A Clare member of the HSE’s Regional Health Forum West has criticised the Government’s handling of the controversy, saying the people of the Midwest shouldn’t have to lose out over failings elsewhere.
Barefield Independent Councillor Ann Norton says the planned unit is vital in tackling chronic overcrwoding that has plagued the region’s main hosptial in recent years.
She says questions need to be answered.
The Chair of the Children and Youth Affairs Committe has defended the Health Minister, saying Simon Harris was aware more money was needed, but not that there was a massive overrun.
Fine Gael’s Alan Farrell has also refused to express confidence in the board charged with building the new National Children’s Hospital and believes that confidence hangs on a review of the process that’s due to report next month.
And he’s denied suggestions that the project will end up costing more than 2 billion euro.
he Health Minister meanwhile, has challenged critics of the National Children’s Hospital to outline what they would have done differently.
Simon Harris says he was only presented with three options for the future of the project when large cost overruns became clear.
Clare County Council are among those who’ve called for the hospital to be re-located to a green fields site instead of its current location.
But Health Minister Simon Harris says it will go ahead as planned.
