Deputy Lord Mayor of Dublin says decision on Rotunda care unit is 'putting lives at risk'
Sarah Slater
The Deputy Lord Mayor of Dublin has slammed the move by An Coimisiún Pleanála to stop the Rotunda Hospital’s €100 million critical care unit, saying it is ”putting the lives of mothers and their babies at risk”.
Last week, the commission overturned planning permission granted by Dublin City Council in July last year to the hospital site on Parnell Square.
The new four-storey wing would have provided 80 extra hospital bedrooms along with a new theatre while the plans also included the demolition of the existing Outpatients Department located on the western side of Parnell Square.
Two appeals by an individual and the Dublin Civic Trust and an individual were lodged against the original planning permission.
The Cabra-Glasnevin Fianna Fáil councillor who has worked in the health care sector in the Mater Hospital for more than 25 years said expectant mothers and babies are being treated “as second class citizens because” they are “attending a hospital in the north inner city”.
Mounting pressure from the health and political areas resulted in Taoiseach Micheál Martin promising that the hospital will get its expansion on site, no matter what it takes.
The Taoiseach committed by saying in the Dáil on Tuesday that “all options here, in terms of getting this critical-care wing built at the Rotunda,” will be examined.
Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll McNeill also said she was “disappointed” by the commission’s decision.
“They, the commission, are without doubt putting the lives of expectant mothers, new mothers and babies in untold danger,” said the deputy Lord Mayor.
“There will be a lot of questions to be answered if a mother or baby lives are lost due to wanting to preserve the integrity of a building over those of human beings. I understand the need to preserve our heritage and cultural aspects but not at the cost of lives.”
The Deputy Lord Mayor questioned how individuals in planning sectors “can be allowed to not listen to the voices of medical experts and those working day-in and day-out at the hospital dealing with over-cramped and dangerous situations”.
He added: “Dublin’s north inner city is also losing Temple Street Children’s Hospital when it moves out to the new James’ Hospital site leaving so many people in the north inner city and environs under even more pressure to try and get vital medical care. Do the planning powers not see that? The commission’s decision just really beggar’s belief.”
He urged the Taoiseach to “stand firm” on his decision to “look at all aspects” of the commission’s decision.
An Coimisiún Pleanála in it’s ruling said it agreed with the two appellant objectors that the plans to have the outpatients department demolished and replaced with a critical care wing, would be contrary to the zoning of the site, due to allowing only limited expansion within Georgian conservation areas.
Dublin Civic Trust chief executive Graham Hickey said it was "shocking and unacceptable" that the Rotunda had submitted "a gargantuan development proposal”.
However, the Master of the Rotunda Hospital, Professor Seán Daly said earlier this week that the priority is making sure that the “delivery of appropriate neonatal care for the Rotunda” continues and progresses “as quickly as possible”.
