Ministers to sign off on site for National Maternity Hospital

on 17/07/2012 00:00:00

Ministers, meeting for the final time before the summer recess, are expected to approve the transfer of the hospital from its 118-year-old home in Holles St in Dublin city centre to a building near St Vincent's Hospital on the southside.

Sources believe Health Minister James Reilly will bring a memo to Cabinet following agreement on the proposed Elm Park location.

It follows what were described as "serious negotiations" between the Department of Health, the Department of Finance, and Nama, which had appointed a receiver to the development which was built by Bernard MacNamara.

The Elm Park mixed development has also been mooted as a possible location for the proposed national children's hospital, but is unlikely to be the chosen site when a decision is reached in the autumn.

Once moved, the maternity hospital is expected to share some services with nearby St Vincent's.

The relocation comes as the hospital experiences serious capacity issues.

On her appointment earlier this year, master of the hospital Dr Rhona Mahony said it was busier than at any time in its history.

She said almost 10,000 babies had been delivered there last year and productivity was up by 30% compared to 2007. "It is a huge challenge just even managing the numbers," she said adding it was "a very, very old building, it is not custom built for 2012".