Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am aware of that. I will not go on as I do not want to delay the meeting but I will say one thing. I have had some experience of similar projects. There is a tendency, particularly when building during inflationary periods, to at least double the cost. That is just a sad reflection. I am sorry that Deputy Donnelly is not here. He referred to the Karolinska Institutet project in Stockholm which went from 14 billion krona to 60 billion krona in two years. Therefore there is a history relating to hospital projects of which we should be aware. Last week, the Deputy referred to the Royal Adelaide which had similar problems. Overruns are endemic in hospital projects and I understand some of the reasons for this. Each item, be it construction, mechanical, electrical and everything else, has an inflationary tendency. I hope that the review which is currently being undertaken will identify any fat that should not be there. However, we should be cautious lest anyone decide that the project be brought to a halt in order to save money. That will not save money. That would involve spending money unwisely and would deprive children in this country of the kind of services required internationally.

If for some reason we did not go ahead with this project, where would we gain access to a similar standard of modern paediatric treatment? Is it Great Ormond Street Hospital, the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center or what other options are available?