Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Before dealing with the timeline, I will finish dealing with the costs because I do not want to conflate the two. On the costs, my views are exactly as outlined by Fred Barry when he last came before this committee, namely, there are some issues of risk outside the GNP process - that is not new and that has been said many times - and the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board has to manage that. I have no further information to add to that at this point.

On the timeline, as the HSE said when this query was first submitted, with a project of this scale some parts of it can run ahead of schedule and some parts of it can run behind schedule. Overall, I have been informed that the project is still scheduled to be completed in 2022 and opened to the children of Ireland in 2023 on time. I visited the hospital, as I know the Chairman did, and huge progress is being made on it. The Connolly part of this is open. I know this is an issue of intense political scrutiny, and it should be as it involves a great deal of money. The hospital will have a massive health benefit. The progress being made on this project is phenomenal. I reiterate the invitation sent to the committee and encourage all the members to visit the site, meet the management on the site, ask questions, meet the BAM people, and see the progress being made. I think they would all find it very valuable. Does Mr. Reid want to come in?