Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party)
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I apologise that I missed some of the contributions. use I was speaking in the Dáil, so I apologise if I repeat some questions that were put previously.

Deputy Kelly began by citing “Room to Improve”. Unfortunately, a different programme comes to mind here. It is one of the episodes of "Killinaskully" in which the Pat Shortt character is selling concrete frogs. The garda character asks him, “How much are they?” and the Pat Shortt character replies, “Well, that depends, is it for you or is it for the HSE?” There is a real element of that here.

I feel deflated. The Chair was quite forceful in his contribution, but I feel deflated as a taxpayer and a parent because we are in so deep here. Thankfully my children are in good health. I have not had the need to use the services of a hospital for them as yet. Touch wood, I am in a lucky situation. Yet, God Almighty, how would a parent who has a child with complex needs and who needs these kinds of services feel watching these proceedings. We are in too deep. It is not as though we can cut ties and say “Well, do you know what lads? Forget about it”. It is not throwing good money after bad. That would be unfair to say because we need this hospital. Yet, to hear about the dates and the budget slipping in the manner in which they have at meeting after meeting is incredibly dispiriting. I am sure Mr. Gunning and the Department have the exact same feeling, and perhaps to an even greater degree.

The question about penalties for the slippage in date has already been asked. Maybe I am wrong. I had been getting updates on my phone. Are penalties being applied? One contractor is taking part in a slow bicycle race. Will it doing so mean that it will take a hit in the pocket?