Chambers to tell FF Ard Fheis about need for maternity services at Connolly Hospital

Published on: 24 April 2015


Dublin West candidate Jack Chambers will make an important speech at the Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis this weekend calling for the relocation of maternity services to Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown.

The Fingal Councillor is due to raise the issue during a televised health debate at the event in the RDS tomorrow in front of thousands of Fianna Fáil members.

Cllr Chambers said, “Connolly Hospital is the ideal strategic location for the future relocation of services from the Rotunda hospital. At the moment the Government is sitting on recommendations calling for the existing maternity hospitals to be moved and co-located with acute hospitals. Steps are being taken to move Holles Street to St Vincent’s Hospital but there have been no provisions for maternity patients on the northside of the city.

“Connolly Hospital is the perfect site for the relocation of the Rotunda’s maternity services. It has already been proven that it has the credentials to be a tri-located hospital. It would have been a viable location for the National Children’s Hospital but the Government squandered that opportunity with indecision and inaction. It is crucial that the same mistakes are not made with the reorganisation of maternity services.

“The Rotunda and Dublin’s other maternity hospitals are under extreme pressure. The staff in the Rotunda do an exceptional job in difficult circumstances but they and the patients cannot be expected to deal with escalating pressures due to Government inaction. The Minister for Health Leo Varadkar must explain why he has taken no action whatsoever on a KPMG report recommending that maternity hospitals should be located on a general hospital site. It is up to him to ensure that Dublin West doesn’t again lose out and that the strategic benefits of Connolly Hospital are not ignored once again by this Government.

“I will be raising this issue at the Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis as part of my campaign to boost services at Connolly in Blanchardstown and promote it as the perfect site for a tri-located hospital.”

Cllr Chambers will raise the issue at a debate on the Health Services at the FF Ard Fheis in the RDS, at 10.30am on Saturday, 25th April.

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