The Minister for Health has rejected a call from Clare Councillors to reverse the decision to locate the new National Children's Hospital at St. James's Hospital in Dublin.
They had proposed that it instead be built on a site at James Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown.
At a recent council meeting, Councillors Anne Norton, Tom McNamara and PJ Ryan argued that locating the facility in Blanchardstown would offer easier access for children from County Clare, more parking and space for expansion and would be cheaper and quicker to build.
However, in a written response to the Council, Minister Simon Harris claims the current plan would allow children easy access to specialist facilities, medical expertise and staff already located at St. James's.
He also states that the new children's hospital will offer supports to regional facilities to ensure more children here are treated closer to home.
It's also pointed out that abandoning the current project would be costly, and cause a significant delay, with a three to four year wait likely for any new planning decision.
While Minister Harris also says that provision has been made for a 20% exapnsion of the hospital over the coming decades, and there will also be parking space available for around 1000 cars, 675 of these reserved for family members.
The New National Children's Hospital, which includes satellite facilities in at Tallaght and Connolly hospitals, is due to be completed by the year 2020.
