Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

In his opening statement, Mr. Pollock said: "The final cost is in line with international benchmark costs for hospitals of a similar scale and complexity." I do not want to take that as a given. I want to see what it was compared with. We are hearing it is going to be the second-most expensive hospital in the world. I want to know what it was benchmarked against. If the witnesses do not have that information now, will they come back to us with a note so we can see exactly what we are comparing, rather than just accepting that as a given?

There is something I have never understood, although it was described very well in regard to the urgent care centres. I do not dispute the value of those urgent care centres and the methodology and thinking behind them. I remember visiting Tallaght University Hospital just before it opened, and it is not a very old hospital. There was a very good, very well-thought-out section for children in that hospital. Why was there a need for an extra or new unit there when there was already a purpose-built and designed set of wards for children? Was it not large enough? What was the thinking?