Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 7 July 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health

National Children's Hospital: Discussion

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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I find it unacceptable that Mr. Gunning cannot even give us a number and that he will not get into it. If they are settled, they are settled. There is a vacuum of accountability and transparency around this project. I want to get to the costs as well. When costs were put to Mr. Gunning on the previous occasion he was before the committee, he said:

We are reporting and monitoring progress relative to the €1.433 billion budget. We anticipate that as we arrive at that schedule we will have an updated project budget...".

He went on to say that he expected to be in a position to give that in the first quarter of 2021. It is well past the first quarter of 2021. I am asking for a definitive figure relating to claims which are settled. If I am correct, he said that the estimated cost of those 600 claims would be €200 million. It is reasonable for me to ask at this point, given that he is not going to give us any more information on what is not outstanding, for information on what is settled. How many claims have been settled and what was the cost of those claims?