Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses here to the Committee of Public Accounts. There are two issues to which I wish to draw attention. The first is the impairment charge and the second is where we stand regarding delivery of the new hospital. The impairment charge is €35.5 million and the total expenditure was just short of €40 million. To anyone looking at this, it would seem extraordinary that a figure of more than 90% of the expenditure relating to design, business services, administration and project management was written off and was not reusable or transferable. When the witness was before this committee on a previous occasion, questions were raised about this matter. It was indicated that a full review was taking place. What is here before us today is the outcome of that review. Perhaps the witness might give the committee some detail as to why so little of the funding that was made available, and the expenditure that took place, has been transferable to the new proposed premises in St. James’s hospital?