Mr. Tom Costello:

You had a final question, Chairman, if you want me to answer it. You asked why the cost has exceeded the average. The average cost of the exercise that was done by AECOM was €5,951 per square metre and in the children's hospital it is €6,500. The highest cost of the hospitals was €8,000 per square metre. To answer your question on why it is more expensive, Dublin is an expensive place to build at present but it is mainly because, and I spoke earlier about the vision, we set out to build one of the finest children's hospitals in the world. It is also one of the biggest children's hospitals in the world. There are elements in it that cost money. In terms of providing a truly supportive and therapeutic environment for children and their families, all 380 rooms are private rooms en suite with space for the parents to sleep.

That is a quantum shift from what we are doing now. We have also created gardens such as the rainbow garden in the roof, which is the length of Croke Park. That is about recognising the importance of feeling in all of this. Dr. Curtis will come in on that later. We then talk about the sustainability. It costs more to put energy-efficient systems in the building we are constructing but that will yield huge savings during the life cycle of the building. We set out to build an outstanding hospital and there is a premium for doing that. It is fit for purpose rather than too good. It delivers on what we set out to do, which was to build one of the finest children's hospitals in the world.