An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD and Minister for Health, Simon Harris TD at official sod turning ceremony at Connolly Hospital

The new centre at Connolly – together with the new children’s hospital, on a campus shared with St. James’s Hospital – and the second Paediatric Outpatients and Urgent Care centre at Tallaght Hospital, will form part of an overall project to reshape healthcare for children.

The facility at Connolly Hospital will provide general community and paediatric clinics, including developmental paediatrics and multi-disciplinary care for children with chronic stable conditions and other outpatient services. The centre is projected to deal with 25,000 urgent care and 15,000 attendances every year.

An Taoiseach said: ‘I am delighted to mark another important milestone in the development of the New Children’s Hospital and Paediatric Out Patient Department and Urgent Care Centres. I have been a strong supporter of this project over recent years and it is very rewarding to see us progressing to construction stage. The two new centres at Connolly and Tallaght will be an integral part of the New Children’s Hospital and will be of significant benefit to the people living in the local area, bringing paediatric services here to the thriving communities in Blanchardstown, as well as providing urgent care for children in the Greater Dublin Area.’

‘I feel a special connection to Connolly Hospital because I worked here as a doctor in 2004 and 2005 and it was a very happy and rewarding time. I saw first-hand that it is the commitment and dedication of the staff which makes Connolly Hospital so special. The team here at Connolly should be commended not just for the healthcare they provide today, but also for their commitment to the future and for coming together to forge a new identity and a new tradition as part of Phoenix Children’s Health.’

Minister Harris said: ’It is important that we recognise the significant role of this Outpatient Department and Urgent Care Centre. The availability of consultant-led urgent care, with 4-6 hour observation beds, rapid access to OPD clinics and diagnostics will mean that families and GPs can access a range of services locally. I am also happy to be here today at the launch of the name for the new Children’s Hospital and the two centres. Having a name – ‘Phoenix Children’s Health’ – now makes the project even more real and meaningful.’

Commenting, Theo Cullinane, BAM Ireland Chief Executive, said: ‘We are excited to continue to play a vital role in the development of Ireland’s Healthcare Infrastructure and to deliver this project which will improve the lives of Irish children for many years to come.’

The project will be undertaken by BAM, and is due to be operational from February 2019.