Taoiseach to turn sod on two new hospital developments

Work to start on facilities at Connolly and National Rehabilitation Hospital

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar: with Minister for Health Simon Harris he will launch work at Connolly Hospital in west Dublin and a redevelopment of the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire.  Photograph: Dara Mac Donaill
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar: with Minister for Health Simon Harris he will launch work at Connolly Hospital in west Dublin and a redevelopment of the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire. Photograph: Dara Mac Donaill

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Minister for Health Simon Harris will officially turn the sod on two new major hospital developments in Dublin on Monday.

The first ceremony will be at Connolly Hospital in west Dublin where a new paediatric outpatients and urgent care centre is to be developed.

Mr Varadkar and Mr Harris will later turn the sod on the first phase of a major redevelopment of the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dún Laoghaire.

The new paediatric out-patients and urgent care centre at Connolly along with a second such facility to be built at Tallaght hospital and the new national children's hospital forms part of an overall project to reshape hospital care for children.

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The facility at Connolly Hospital will provide general community and paediatric clinics, including developmental paediatrics and multidisciplinary 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 outpatient attendances every year.

The new development at the National Rehabilitation Hospital will see the existing ward accommodation replaced by a new block of 120 single en-suite rooms. It will include integrated therapy spaces, a new sports hall, a hydrotherapy unit and a temporary concourse as well as clinical and ancillary spaces. In addition, links to the existing building will ensure full integration between the new development and the existing hospital on the site.

Martin Wall

Martin Wall

Martin Wall is the Public Policy Correspondent of The Irish Times.