An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business Dail Éireann — 2026-02-17 ============================================================ Mary Lou McDonald (SF), Dublin Central There are unruly elements in this Chamber. Most of them are Sinn Féiners but how and ever. I return to the issue of the Rotunda Hospital, which is the busiest maternity hospital in the country. The refusal of permission for the critical care unit is undoubtedly a blow but it should be remembered that it is just the latest in a series of setbacks for the hospital. The hospital has for a long time been seeking investment and development but each and every time it has been put through the wringer by a government that kept citing the desire to relocate it to colocate it with James Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown. That plan never made sense. It did not make sense ten years ago and does not make sense today. For generations the Rotunda Hospital has been colocated with the Mater Hospital in the heart of Dublin's north inner city and that is where it must stay. The Taoiseach has been asked several times today and he has avoided giving any clarity. I want him to give clarity now for those who work in this hospital and those who use its services. Generations of northside Dubliners have been born there and people rely on its services. Will the Taoiseach give clarity that the Rotunda Hospital will remain at the heart of Dublin's north inner city? --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-02-17/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:38+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-02-17