Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Okay. Let us take ten off, that is, 42 meetings a year. I do not believe it credible that Mr. Quinn would not say to Mr. Watt, "Just to let you know what's going on down the road. We are overshooting here". For a man of Mr. Watt's experience, given all the excellent projects that have worked out so well, which he rightly put on record as he is entitled to do and in which I support him in so doing, it is not remotely credible that Mr. Quinn did not fill him in on what is currently the largest project costing €1.7 billion or whatever will be. It is grand to say it is not in minutes and that they followed the correct procedures but I am putting it to Mr. Watt that it is not credible.

I am probably rushing but I have two very important points I want to raise and I know I will only get one bite of the cherry. We were provided with a note from the Department of Health on 31 January arising from our earlier meeting. It looks like we are heading for a cost of €1.7 billion. PwC are helping us, and Mr. Watt laid out a series of improvements for the next projects, but we are still faced with the public having to pay the bills for this project. A footnote states: "Exclusions include changes in scope, excess national construction tender inflation above 4% post July 2019, changes in legislation (e.g. VAT, PRSI, statutory labour rates, building regulations)". Let us focus on the construction tender inflation because I am conscious that this was subject of a "Prime Time" programme the other night but it was in a footnote of a document given to us in January. According to AECOM Ireland's annual review and the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland in respect of last year's performance and next year's projected performance, construction tender inflation has run at 7.5%, on average, in the past year and is likely to be no less than 7% in the year ahead. Does that not mean, in effect, that the BAM-provided construction inflation exceeds the 4% that is budgeted for in the contract or that this briefing document would suggest, and that once construction inflation performs at broadly the same as last year, it is open season again on negotiations?