David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I can hear the frustration coming through Mr. Gunning's opening statement, but I can tell him that the public is even more frustrated, because there are more costs and more time delays. Nobody can really have any confidence in any dates that we are being given at this point. On the one hand, there are all of these claims that now amount to €750 million. On the other hand, there is still no compliant programme and there is no completion date. Let us be honest, there is what we could characterise as a fistfight between the board and BAM. I am not saying who is right and who is wrong, but certainly, there is a lot of tension there and that needs to be resolved. We need to get on track and have some sense as to when this hospital will be built.

To go back to the capital request, as I said earlier, the current total programme cost is €1.733 billion. The capital for the hospital itself is €1.433 billion. Mr. Gunning is saying that he has asked for more money. He cannot tell us what the figure is. I understand this has to Cabinet so we may find out after that, but I would imagine the figure is substantial enough, given that the HSE and the Cabinet have to approve it.

Earlier, Mr. Gunning said that of that €1.433 billion, there is a contingency for claims. That is an element of it. When he says he is looking for more money, and he has requested that €1.433 billion ceiling to be increased to allow the project to be completed, does that involve increasing that contingency for claims?