Neasa Hourigan (Dublin Central, Green Party)
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I am not sure if there is any point talking further about the children's hospital. I put it to Mr. Watt that people on this committee are well aware of the complex and live contract involved and that it is a multi-strand process. Everyone on the committee and indeed the public understand there are escalating construction and material costs at the moment and that the contract is subject to claims. It is very unsatisfactory for Mr. Watt to say today that "discussion of costs by officials, however hypothetical or otherwise at this time, may prejudice enforcement of the existing contract, and very likely negatively impact or jeopardise the Development Board in its ongoing engagement with the main contractor". Ultimately that statement presents itself less as a discussion of the complexity of a contract and more as an attempt to constrain, control or remove the public oversight of this project. Nobody likes to talk about spiralling costs, but oversight of public spending is a fundamental principle of public life. It is not Mr. Watt's role to act as gatekeeper. It is completely valid for the Committee of Public Accounts to ask these questions. We should have access to that report.