Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Some in the construction industry will say that construction costs and building costs generally have increased by considerably more than has been suggested by Mr. Gunning. In fairness to the contractors, they are not present. I think they should be present. We accept Mr. Gunning's bona fides in his replies to questions. However, there is another side and the contractors have a different view which is not being heard. The questions around the table have been useful in determining what the actual situation from their point of view might be, which is very much part of the overall costs of the production of the hospital and the keeping of the timelines.

My next question relates to the percentage of completion, which we have already established. Would it be true to say that the construction work is entering its final stages now and it is only a matter of agreement or disagreement? Mr. Gunning says the completion date is in June of next year. There are those who will say it could have been next month; it was originally next month. Who is moving the date onwards? Is it the contractor by virtue of the work that is still outstanding or is it the client, the development board on behalf of the Department? Who is moving that forward, apart from the work that is still to be done? If 93%, 94% or 95% of the work is done, we are very much in the closing stages.