Minister for Health must make clear the future of the Rotunda is in Dublin’s North Inner City

• Deep disappointment at planning refusal, which is essential to enhancing care and capacity, particularly neonatal care.
• Minister for Health had been asked to make clear the 2016 plan to co-locate the Rotunda with Connolly was now defunct, but did not: that is now being used against the Rotunda.
• Rotunda is the busiest hospital in the State and one of the busiest in Europe: staff, mothers, and babies deserve better.

Marie Sherlock TD, Labour Spokesperson for Health and TD for Dublin Central, has expressed her deep disappointment at the decision of An Coimisiún Pleanála to refuse permission for the proposed critical care wing for the Rotunda Hospital on Parnell Square. Deputy Sherlock said:

“The Rotunda Hospital is the busiest maternity hospital in Ireland, and one of the busiest in Europe, delivering more than 8,000 babies in 2024. This decision to refuse planning permission for this desperately needed critical care wing is a major blow.

“While thousands of mothers can attest that the care from staff in the Rotunda is exceptional, the reality is that space is a major constraint for the Rotunda which is impacting upon care, particularly in the neonatal unit with limited space for vulnerable premature babies. That is why this critical care wing is absolutely essential.

“It is deeply irritating that An Coimisiún Pleanála referenced the 2016 policy on co-location, proposing co-location of the Rotunda and Connolly. That proposal is now defunct, Connolly was never upgraded to a model 4 hospital and sensibly, the Rotunda has built up deep extensive links with the nearby Mater Hospital.

“Crazily, the Department of Health has failed to make clear that the Rotunda Connolly relocation is not happening and even in parliamentary question responses as late as last year was still suggesting that a co-location of the Rotunda may happen. This has led to an ambiguity about the Rotunda’s future which was used as a stick to beat it with in the planning process.

“The Minister for Health was notified of this issue during the planning process and has failed to make clear what the future of the Rotunda is. This is totally unacceptable. The Minister for Health and the Department must now clarify the future of the Rotunda, particularly before the Oireachtas Health Committee next week, as we review the implementation of the National Maternity Strategy.

“I very much respect the right of people and organisations to object, particularly as we know of the huge international and local significance of our Georgian architecture, but we believe it is as crucial that we deliver much needed enhanced public maternity services that can ensure safe and world class maternity care.

“Added to that, it is vital to understand that the hospital was built before the Georgian housing was ever built in what is now Parnell Square.

Submission to ACP: rotunda.pdf