Mr. David Gunning:

I thank the Chair. I will pick up on the design point to start. It was never the intention that design would be completed before this building would start. It would be impossible to do that because of the degree of design that rested with the contractor and the subcontractors. It was just never going to happen. The contract clearly states that the design will evolve as the works continue. The key issue is that the design is ready when the contractor is going to step in to do the work in a particular area or in a particular function. The contractor needs to have sufficient notice of what is required there.

To familiarise not just the main contractor, BAM, but also some of the main subcontractors with the design, all of those people were paid a total of €10 million before the project started to familiarise themselves with the design in detail as it was at the time. The claim we hear is that our the expectation was that the design would be ready and that there was a lack of knowledge of where things stood with regard to the design right up to end of 2018, before the phase B was signed in 2019 and the gun went off to start the project. There was a lot of clarity between the design team and the subcontractors and the main contractor on the status of design at that time. A significant consideration past €10 million was paid to those parties to participate in that process. I just want to push back on that design piece. I know there is shorthand here that it is all about design. That is the BAM line and we do not accept that.