Ministers touring the site of the new Children's Hospital in Dublin.
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt travelled to Dublin today for his first official meeting with Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, TD.
The ministers met at the Irish Department of Health where they discussed strengthening cross-border healthcare collaboration, before touring the site of the state-of-the-art new Children’s Hospital.
The Ministers’ discussions included the potential for the development of a paediatric pathology service for the island, collaboration in relation to workforce issues, health inequalities and cancer cooperation.
During the visit to the hospital, the two Ministers also discussed the provision of paediatric cardiac surgery for children from Northern Ireland whose life-saving surgery will transfer from Crumlin to the world class facility once it becomes fully operational.
Minister Nesbitt commended the progress of the hospital and extended his best wishes for the final stages of development and the transition of services.
Irish Health Minister Carroll MacNeill and Health Minister Mike Nesbitt.
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said:
“This visit marks an important step in our commitment to ensuring the highest standard of care for all children, regardless of borders.
“The new Children’s Hospital in Dublin represents a significant investment in paediatric healthcare and I am pleased that children from Northern Ireland will have access to its specialist cardiac surgery services.
“Cross border collaboration in healthcare has long played a vital role in delivering specialist services that may not be viable on a single jurisdiction basis. This is a prime example of how working together can ensure the best possible outcomes for children and their families. I look forward to further strengthening our collaboration.”
Irish Health Minister Carroll MacNeill added:
“It was a pleasure to welcome Minister Nesbitt to Dublin and to talk about the shared healthcare priorities between our two jurisdictions. Given that we are facing similar challenges, working together is so important and it is a sensible approach to take.
“I was also very pleased to host Minister Nesbitt at the Children’s Hospital at a time of great transformation for paediatric care in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Enhancing North-South cooperation will continue to be a priority for me and the Irish Government.”
The visit comes following the recent announcement to build a new Children’s Hospital in Belfast, a major investment in paediatric care, with construction set to begin imminently. Both ministers welcomed the commitment to expanding paediatric healthcare infrastructure in both regions.
During his visit to Dublin, Minister Nesbitt also attended a North-South Ministerial Council Transport Sectoral meeting as Accompanying Minister.
The visit concluded with a tour of St. Francis Hospice and taking time to meet with patients and their families, staff, and volunteers. Representatives of the All-Ireland Institute of Hospice and Palliative Care (AIIHPC) also met with the Minister during his visit at St Francis Hospice and discussed the ongoing all island collaboration in palliative and end of life care.