Fianna Fáil’s Naas Area Representative, James Lawless, has expressed concern over the government’s choice of site for the childrens’ hospital and has expressed reservations on the city centre location chosen in Dublin 8.
“A great many people from the Naas Area and across North Kildare will have had occasion to visit Tallaght hospital with their children and most will have found it accessible, clean, efficient and convenient” said James.
“I have been to Tallaght hospital on a number of occasions with my own children” James outlined “and the location served North Kildare very well. I am concerned at the impact the new city centre site will have on accessibility. As far back as 2008 I wrote to the then childrens’ Minister, Barry Andrews, to express my concerns over the impact on North Kildare of taking childrens’ services out of Tallaght and into the city centre. Now we have a different site but the same issue and I feel an opportunity has been missed to site it so as to serve the whole country. I have concerns about the additional travel time and accessibility difficulties now that a city centre location has again been preferred”.
My own view would have been that the Connolly site at Blanchardstown would have been a better bet not just to serve Naas, but the entire rest of the country who could have accessed it via the motorway network. Burying it right in the middle of the city is going to make life so much more difficult for all those travelling from outside Dublin compared to the convenience of any of the competing sites situated along the M50. Especially given that Naas hospital does not admit children into A&E – will emergency child cases now have to be battle through traffic into the city centre to be seen?” asked James in conclusion.
While it is understandable that some the perspective of north Kildare suburban locations might have their attractions, the fact is that this is the national children’s hospital and the St. James site is much more accessible via public transport for those travelling to Dublin from much further afield than north Kildare.
How many people will be travelling on public transport with sick children? Surely the majority transit will be by car. Of course such a site should aspire to excellent public transport links also but the reality is that most families will bring sick children into hospital in their cars.
The points below are specificially made in the contex of a national hospital ; Kildare is a single example ; but if it is difficult to navigate to St James’s from Naas, how much more difficult will it be from Cork or Galway? I was never convinced of the benefits of tucking it right into the centre of the city and feel this is a missed opportunity. For those living inside or outside the capital the M50 presents an accessible target.
‘Difficult to navigate’ from Naas or Cork? With just one right turn before you get to the hospital? Since I don’t drive, I don’t know the traffic lights. But surely it is a case of just continuing down the Naas Road onto Tyrconnell Road, turning right onto Emmet Road in Inchicore, and when you see Luas lines ahead of you in the road, you know you are at St. James’s. Or coming in from Galway, or Longford/Mayo, you continue to Con Colbert Road, then a right turn onto the South Circular Road into Kilmainham, and then left. Surely enough to Heuston Station for a short taxi ride. Or a LUAS ride from either Heuston (short) or Connolly (longer and more crowded).