New Children’s Hospital Will Help To Transform Dublin 8

The Development Board of the new National Children’s Hospital at St James’s today published a study on the economic and social benefits that will accrue to the local community from the €650m development. Entitled Harnessing the Potential, the report suggests that there are a wide range of areas in which the local community will benefit. It sets out a series of recommendations which will ensure that the benefits are maximised. Key findings include:

• 2,000 construction jobs and 300 jobs in services will be created during the construction phase
• 3,700 Children’s Hospital employees will join 4,000 St. James’s Hospital employees on the growing medical campus – bringing more employment and expenditure into the area
• Visitors and patients will also create local demand
• Education and training supports will be tailored to help people in the area acquire skills that will be in demand from the hospital, and the supporting businesses, once the Children’s Hospital is operational
• Social clauses in the construction contracts and in procurement for services provide unique opportunities
  Residents in Dublin 8 (and some areas of Dublin 12) will benefit from a focused approach to create a ‘Healthy Community’

Putting in place a programme to ensure that the full benefit of having a world-class hospital in the community is realised as a priority objective for the NPHDB and Children’s Hospital Group.

The Community Benefits Oversight Group incorporates all of the relevant stakeholder groups in the community to endure that all opportunities are fully leveraged. Members include; St. James’s Hospital; Dublin City Council; Department of Social Protection; CDETB; HSE; An Garda Síochána; Community groups; Local regeneration boards; and an independent Chairman. The overarching objective of the Oversight Group is to promote active engagement between local community interests and the hospital project so that the community benefits in terms of health, training, career opportunities and local business development.

Research was conducted by EY to identify employment, education and enterprise opportunities that would arise during the design, build, and operational phases of the hospital. A full skills audit of the local community was undertaken to identify education and employment supports that are available or required to assist unemployed people secure employment through the project. Consideration has also been given to how social clauses could be used when construction ends.

Ardmhéara Bhaile Átha Cliath / Lord Mayor of Dublin Críona Ní Dhálaigh said: “The new children’s hospital will be a significant investment for the children of Ireland, but it is also – as we learned today – a significant opportunity for the people of Dublin. I wish to commend the NPHDB and CHG on their foresight in forming the Community Benefits Oversight Group in order to ensure that Dublin will realise the full benefit from this, the largest health infrastructure investment in the history of the State. This first report, by EY, is a hugely promising demonstration of what can be achieved by this wide cohort of stakeholders. I look forward to supporting the implementation of this plan.”

You can find more details on the report and the Children’s Hospital at www.newchildrenshospital.ie