Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 13 March 2019

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health

National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Chairperson Designate

Mr. Fred Barry:

There was an underestimate of the costs. I am not saying the costs would have come out exactly as they have done if that had not happened. As I said, with competitive tension there might have been a slight improvement in the pricing but it would not have been different in order of magnitude.

In terms of how it happened, I cannot answer that. I am hoping PwC will come up with some of the answers but it has had some months examining all the documentation and so on so it will have more detailed knowledge on that than I have at this stage. It is certainly unfortunate that what is a very much-needed hospital now has the aura of the cost issue hanging over it. In terms of what can be done about that, we have to build the hospital and it has to be a great facility for people. Eventually, if it works well for the public-----

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