Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 7 March 2019

Public Accounts Committee

Oversight and Implementation of Capital Projects and the Role of Public Officials on State Boards: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Office of Government Procurement

9:00 am

Photo of Bobby AylwardBobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The issue of the children's hospital has been controversial for some 20 years now. There was the Mater site, then there was Crumlin, then it came to the St. James's site and now there is talk of a new greenfield site out in the western environs, which many people still believe should be the site because they maintained that the St. James's site can cater for only half the project. There should be a maternity hospital, a children's hospital and a general hospital. People feel that it should be built on a greenfield site. That is another issue and is a decision for the Government of the day. I understand that it is not a decision for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. What effect will this have on other projects? Mr. Watt spoke about the New Ross bypass, which is in my constituency, and other projects. They are all going to be finished but there are other projects. There are eight primary care projects in the pipeline. These people have approached me because they feel the projects may be withdrawn. The money for the children's hospital bill has to come from somewhere. As the responsible body does the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform know from where this money will be taken from and who is going to suffer? Where will we in rural Ireland lose out again? Where will projects lose out?

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