SINCE the government announced last June that the Mater Hospital is to be the site for the Euro500m new national children's hospital, the project has met with unprecedented amounts of opposition from various quarters. Is the Mater really big enough to hold three children's hospitals on one site, and if so, was it the best choice in terms of accessibility? By withdrawing from talks, is Crumlin hospital simply being a sore loser, and if not, should Ireland's first world-class hospital really be split across two sides of the Liffey? The Sunday Tribune looks at what the major players have to say about one of the most divisive medical debates of recent years.

Prof Brendan Drumm Chief executive, HSE "I can absolutely guarantee that there has been no political interference in this. The interesting issue is that everybody has accepted we should build a world-class facility on a single site. The site has been picked and nobody has produced an alternative. Now do we go back to a situation that was done very well in this country historically and start talking to everybody again, ignoring the children and all the different interests, get back to the table and talk?

Because that talking will go on between the three children's hospitals for the next seven years and you will still have no agreement on the site and we'll have no children's hospital. Who will that affect? That will affect children and I believe the staff of Crumlin hospital realise that."

Dr Fin Breatnach Consultant paediatric oncologist, Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin "We trusted the process.

We've been accused on one half of not being pro-active enough suggesting a particular location. On the other half, we've been praised for avoiding suggesting a particular location and allowing the process to run ahead. People are saying that Crumlin are peeved because they weren't chosen as the location for the National Children's Hospital. We were never going to be chosen. No-one has accepted high-rise [hospitals] as being appropriate for the needs of children. Children need light and space and open air. We're supposed to sign up to something and we have no idea what's available.

They haven't engaged with us. We have no confidence in this decision."

Mary Harney Minister for health and children "My overriding and sole interest, and that of the government, is to achieve worldclass paediatric services in a single national tertiary paediatric hospital as soon as possible. This is the best solution for sick children throughout the country and we cannot be distracted from that goal. I am satisfied that the recommendation that the new children's hospital be located on a site, to be made available by the Mater Hospital, was made after a rigorous and robust and independent process. Now is the time to move on to develop the project. It is time for action now, not further reviews, analysis and reopening decisions already made."

Liz McManus Labour deputy leader and spokeswoman on health "From day one, since we looked at the independent review, we have voiced our concerns at the siting of this hospital. I have no doubt that there was political motivation behind the choosing of the site. There was no consultation with bodies like Crumlin hospital, who for years have been calling for a new hospital and who have no vested interest as it was never going to be on the Crumlin site anyway. The fact that they have decided to drop out of consultation is hugely significant and the government can't afford to keep ignoring this situation."

Rev John Neill Church of Ireland archbishop of Dublin and president of Tallaght hospital "The government and the HSE must keep their focus on children nationwide if the roll-out of the tertiary paediatric services for Ireland is to be successful. There could be a system of governance between the Mater site on the northside of Dublin and the Tallaght site on the south side, close to the M50, that would be better for the children of this country. The plan for the tertiary paediatric hospital on the Mater site is being steamrolled ahead without proper consideration. The plan is ill-conceived, arises out of a flawed process and it is not good for our children."

Diarmuid Martin Catholic archbishop of Dublin and chairman of the board of directors, Crumlin hospital A statement released by the archbishop's office on Thursday said: "Archbishop Martin is aware of the high level of frustration felt by many elements of the staff of Our Lady's Hospital and has already publicly expressed his fear that, if the commitment and generosity [of the staff of Our Lady's Hospital] is in any way soured or frustrated by not fully and coherently availing of the current opportunity, then we will have lost something quite precious for society. The archbishop hopes that it will be possible to continue in a process of transparent dialogue, which reaches out to and engages more sensitively with the interests of all involved."

Mary O'Connor Children in Hospital Ireland "We have many concerns relating to the new children's hospital and have been talking about them for many months. We have serious concerns about the Mater site, especially because it is hard to know what way the hospital will operate. We have no plans to look at, to criticise, we are in the dark as to what the final product will be like.

The new children's hospital has to be what is best for sick children and their parents.

Providing hospital care for children is unique, with issues like space and accommodation for parents needing consideration. This is our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get it right and it needs to be done properly."

Dr Enda Murphy Trinity College Dublin A TCD report comissioned by the board of Tallaght Hospital and published last August found that 75% of Irish children have better access to Tallaght Hospital than to the Mater when travelling by car. This was in direct contrast with the original accessibility report considered by the HSE/ Department of Health task force when deciding where the new hospital should be located. "The main reason that this report differs so drastically is that we were trying to find out which hospital had a journey time advantage over another. We found that Tallaght hospital is by far and away the most accessible of the three hospitals from anywhere outside the Dublin region when travelling by private car."

2 February 2006: A review of tertiary paediatric services, 'Children's Health First', carried out by McKinsey & Co on behalf of the HSE, recommends the establishment of a single tertiary paediatric hospital in Dublin.

Late February 2006: A joint HSE/Department of Health and Children task force is set up to advise on the most suitable location for the proposed new hospital.

1 June 2006: Task force report is presented to the board of the HSE.

8 June 2006: Government announces it is to locate a new Euro500m children's hospital complex on the site of the Mater Hospital, north Dublin.

8 June 2006: The boards of St James' Hospital and Our Lady's Hospital Crumlin express immediate concern, saying the process was "fatally flawed".

August 2006: Report commissioned by Tallaght hospital finds that 75% of Irish children have better access to Tallaght hospital than to the Mater when travelling by car.

27 November 2006: Crumlin hospital issues a report criticising the size and location of the Mater site and calls on the Minister for Health to review the decision.

11 January 2007: Crumlin hospital's board of directors announces the hospital is pulling out of talks on the new children's hospital at the Mater site.

11 January 2007: Minister for Health and Children Mary Harney confirms that plans for the new hospital will continue regardless.