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

I think we were all surprised that the board's legal fees ran to more than one third of its budget, in excess of €8 million. In fairness, the board seems to have been on the losing side most of the time in the more recent court cases.

No. 733B, from the Department of Health, dated 9 July 2021, is a response to our invitation to attend a meeting of the Committee of Public Accounts with the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board on 13 July.

This letter also addresses the ongoing progress review regarding the national paediatric hospital. I propose that we take this correspondence with No. 765B, which also addresses the matter. It is from the Department of Health and dated 25 August 2021. It is a response to the committee's request for the Department to clarify that the committee "will be provided with the report on the progress review of the National Paediatric Hospital including the cost of the project, and a timeframe for its completion". This follows on from our two meetings with the hospital board in the last term. The response to our request for sight on the analysis remains the same. It states that "Any discussion of costs, however hypothetical or otherwise, at this time, would prejudice enforcement of the existing contract, and very likely negatively impact or jeopardise the Development Board in its engagement with the main contractor, and the Board’s responsibilities for the timely completion of this critical project." While we must take the Department at its word, its position means that we do not have information as to the final cost and completion date for the largest capital project ever undertaken by the State and it appears we will not have that information for an extended period. I propose that we note and publish this item. I have flagged it for discussion because we are being strung along.

Members will recall that, last November, we decided to bring in the board of the new paediatric hospital being developed. We also asked the Department of Health to come in. We put that back to the new year because the report on progress and estimates as to the final cost were not available. We brought the board in on 9 February. We thought we would get information that day but we did not. We were told that we would have it soon after. The months passed by and the information still did not come. We had the board in again before the summer break but still did not get the information at that time. We have also visited the hospital. I do not know what the other members think but I believe we are in a ludicrous position. The taxpayer is funding the largest capital project in the State. We are digging deep into pockets and pay packets but we have no idea what the final cost will be and we have no idea about the timelines. We went out and saw the project. I do not know about the rest of the committee but, after seeing it, I had more questions than I did before. It might be an architect's showpiece but I would question how practical or functional some of it is.

This situation is totally unsatisfactory. I do not know if other members want to come in on this but the Committee of Public Accounts cannot sit back and take this. We are being fobbed off by the Department. How long does it take the Department and the hospital board to come up with a progress report and timelines for the project? The public need to know what this is going to cost every one of us. It is not acceptable. Some other members are indicating that they want to come in.