Simon Harris said he will investigate planned private entrance to National Children’s Hospital

The minister for health has said that he will look into reports of a private entrance for the new children's hospital.

This comes after a call was made to remove plans for private clinics at the National Children’s Hospital in Dublin. The proposed private clinic would also have its own private entrance. Harris has said that the children’s hospital is obliged to provide a private facility for outpatients but there is much opposition by patient groups and nurses. They say that this proposed private clinic goes against the government’s Sláintecare programme, a single-tier health service. According to TheJournal Louise O’Reilly said;

"The public who already being fleeced with the huge cost overrun are now being asked to pay for the building of private clinics – it is totally ridiculous."

Others have called the idea of having separate entrances for private and public patients morally repugnant and said that they were appalled at the idea. Harris has said that while he was aware that there would be a private clinic he had not been made aware that there would be a private entrance. The cost of the national children's hospital is predicted to be around the €1.7 billion mark, making it one of the most expensive public buildings in the world.