Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The complexity is a large venue that is clean. I understand that the Pfizer vaccine must be stored below minus 70° Celsius but it is being brought to centres that do not have a cold storage facility and used within a few hours. All of the other vaccines can be used at the typical kitchen fridge temperature, so a standard fridge will be used to store them. I do not see the complexity. I have seen some of these venues that are being used and the cubicles being constructed. They could be constructed in five or six halls, within a stone's throw of the house where I live in Portlaoise, that are not being used and it is the same in County Offaly and other counties. Many venues have been offered and are available. For example, school halls have been available, community facilities that are closed up and churches. We have not heard a credible explanation from anybody to date. Mr. Moloney mentioned the complexity but I do not see the matter as being that complex. Without trying to simplify things, if a venue is large enough, has parking facilities, and all of these places have huge parking facilities, and one can store the vaccine then I cannot see why the very same cubicles cannot be put in the same as they were in Cork City Hall.

I want to discuss the nature of the contract and two tenders for the national children's hospital, which have caused a lot of problems. We have had representatives of the hospital in here. For example, there are almost 700 of what is termed hearings between the contractor, BAM, and the body that has been set up to arbitrate on this, the employers' group. I take no pleasure from saying the following. I am more concerned since the day of that meeting of the Committee of Public Accounts than beforehand in terms of what is happening with the hospital. If the tender was being rolled out again, would Mr. Moloney avoid the two-tier or two contract nature of the project or would he strongly advise, in his role as the Office of Government Procurement, that it would be avoided in the future?