Mr. Phelim Devine:

Just to add detail, we originally tendered the job in the middle of 2016. The contract was signed in August 2017. The phase A works, which entailed the basement, piling, drainage and works up to low ground, started officially in October 2017. In the 15 months from October 2017 to the GMP instruction, which was issued in January 2019, the Government having signed off in December 2018, the contract was modified. It was turned from an initial tender, the first stage, into a second

stage, which involved the completion of the GMP. The responsibility of the design team and employer at the time was to bring the design to a level that allowed the GMP to be agreed, which is the completion of procurement. While we had a two-stage process to bring us to a GMP, normally in a contract there is a single stage, but it brings you to the same point, after which the job pretty much goes to site. Then, obviously, you operate the contract.

As was explained earlier, during that phase the contractors were paid by the State to input into the design and satisfy themselves that it was at the required level so they could agree the GMP. We paid them approximately €8 million for that.