Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Was the figure of €650 million unrealistic? It was in hindsight, but is the Minister concerned that it was pitched low - contractors sometimes do that, although I am not saying that €650 million was the contractor's figure - so that people would think they could live with that amount? Should it always have been €1.4 billion or €1.6 billion? Why was it so low? Although we can kick that question off to the PwC report, there must have been some initial sense. The Minister, Deputy Harris, is busy trying to run the Department of Health, but this is the largest project in the State and will undoubtedly outlive all of us. Was the figure lowballed at €650 million to get the project over the line in the public's view? No one would have agreed to build the most expensive hospital in the world. The Minister, Deputy Donohoe, would not have said that.