While it is welcome that a fresh planning application is to be submitted for a new critical care wing at the Rotunda Hospital, this and previous governments cannot evade blame for delays to the project, according to Social Democrats TD P\u00e1draig Rice.<\/p>\n
Deputy Rice, who is the party\u2019s health spokesperson, said:<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter years of obfuscation, the government has finally confirmed that the 2015 plan to co-locate the Rotunda with Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown has been abandoned.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is deeply regrettable that the Minister for Health did not confirm this earlier, as the existence of this co-location plan influenced An Comisi\u00fan Plean\u00e1la\u2019s decision to overturn planning permission for the \u20ac100 million development at Ireland\u2019s largest and oldest maternity hospital.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 2016-2021 Infrastructure and Capital Investment Plan said the Rotunda would move to Connolly in the latter years of the plan. Meanwhile, the current National Maternity Strategy, which does not run out until the end of this year, still includes the relocation of the Rotunda.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe delay to this vital project – which will now have to go through a new lengthy planning process \u2013 is the result of government presenting policy for appearance\u2019s sake only.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we have now seen with the Rotunda debacle, this has had serious consequences for the critical care of infants and mothers.\u201d<\/p>\n
March 4, 2026<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" While it is welcome that a fresh planning application is to be submitted for a new critical care wing at the Rotunda Hospital, this and previous governments cannot evade blame for delays to the project, according to Social Democrats TD P\u00e1draig Rice. Deputy Rice, who is the party\u2019s health spokesperson, said: \u201cAfter years of obfuscation, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":16408,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,807,642,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16407","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-maternity","category-padraig-rice","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n