Was the fix in?

There has been an escalation in the row about the decision to locate the new national children’s hospital at the Mater. Crumlin Hospital has released a detailed report taking issue with the Mater’s suitability for the facility, amongst other things in terms of space, a pressing issue given the importance of parental presence for children unfortunate enough to be in hospital in the first place (Irish Times link here). Worth then to log for future reference a claim from a couple of months ago that Bertie had essentially promised that the Mater would get the facility before the decision was made, which, if true, could end up being a clumsy exercise in vote-getting, given its potential to annoy more people than it appeased.

The Irish Times had the story (free link, for now anyway).

On Friday last, Mr [Des] Lamont, who is chairman of the [Mater] hospital’s Board of Governors, was at a ceremony at the Mater attended by the Taoiseach. Mr Lamont said Mr Ahern had given a commitment that a new children’s hospital would be developed there and he thanked him for honouring that commitment.

Mr Lamont also said that it was hoped that the project could be finalised by September 2011, to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the Mater hospital.

Prof Drumm [HSE], in his letter yesterday which was copied to all the main Dublin teaching hospitals, said any suggestion the decision was because of what the Taoiseach had said was “a direct affront to the integrity” of the members of the Department of Health/HSE group which recommended the site for the new hospital earlier this year.

A new row with the implication that the decision was made with factors other than child-patient welfare having primacy would be particularly awkward in the context of the children’s rights referendum.