Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Thursday, 22 May 2025
Public Accounts Committee
National Paediatric Hospital Development Board and Children's Health Ireland: Discussion
2:00 am
Mr. David Gunning:
I have briefly summarised the three levers in the contract, all of which we have used. Termination is one; can we terminate the contract? When BAM failed to return to site for another seven or eight weeks after the Government-mandated Covid shutdown, the board had no option but to commence termination proceedings. BAM, in return, came back to site and those proceedings were brought to a conclusion. We also have the application of liquidated damages to effectively compensate the development board for the costs we are incurring. If we just run the liquidated damages summary from when the project should have finished in November 2022 up to the end of August, the amount the State could apply is approximately €31.5 million. That is all subject to disputes already and possible court resolution of those issues. They are the main levers we have. That is the primary motivator. That is the-----
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