The team overseeing the build of the National Children’s Hospital has been branded “delusional” as costs spiral and the completion date is delayed again.
More than 600 claims for extra costs for more than €200 million have been submitted by BAM, the National Children’s Hospital (NCH) main contractor.
Chief Officer of the National Paediatric Hospital Development (NPHD) board David Gunning faced intense questioning from TDs at the Oireachtas Health Committee on Wednesday.
TDs were told that the hospital, which is set to be one of the most expensive in the world, will be delayed again.
Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall called the board “delusional” after Mr Gunning said they are still working to their original timeline even though the project has been delayed by at least nine months.
Mr Gunning said: “I anticipate we will be working with the contractor and providing updated guidance to stakeholders on the schedule in early next year, that is the position.
“Where we feel there is no entitlement, we are using all mechanisms available in the contract to defend these claims and to protect the public purse.
“The approved budget is €1.43 billion, and we are currently operating within that budgetary scope.
“However, I think it’s fair to say that there are considerable pressures on that particular budget.”
Sinn Fein health spokesman David Cullinane asked the board if they had considered “pulling the plug” on the contract with BAM.
Mr Gunning said that the board has discussed “all options open to us.”
When pressed on when the hospital would be completed, Mr Gunning told Mr Cullinane that the completion date was August 2022 but it would not be hit and he could not provide a completion date due to the absence of a work programme from the contractor, BAM.
Speaking after the Committee, Ms Shortall said there are serious questions that need answering.
She said: “It was disappointing to hear in the board’s opening statement that there have been hundreds of claims for hundreds of millions of euro in relation to this development.
“What was particularly frustrating, however, was the inability of NHPDB to give us a working assumption of both the estimated completion date and estimated total cost of the hospital project.
“It is highly unsatisfactory that that board was not able to answer our questions today and it is not an acceptable way for a public body to operate.”
