James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I raise the issue of the runaway bill for the new children's hospital and the impact that will have on other health projects. The original bill was €650 million but the Taoiseach said yesterday that the final project cost has now risen to more than €1.4 billion or €450 million higher than the figure approved by the Government in 2017. It has been reported that the Minister for Health warned the Cabinet that the project could cost up to €1.7 billion, although there will not be a single extra bed for this extra money. This massive overspend demonstrates a clear and grievous failure of competence that will have a dire effect on the delivery of other necessary health projects throughout the country. Projects may now be significantly delayed at a cost to patients' health. It is patients, ultimately, who will lose out. Concerns have been raised, for example, regarding the provision of a second catheterisation laboratory in University Hospital Waterford and the development of the National Forensic Mental Health Service in Portrane.

Why should we believe these new figures as opposed to previous ones? How will the additional costs be funded? How much will be taken out of the existing health capital budget? When will the Minister for Health set out the projects that will now be delayed and the length of delay involved in each case? I ask the Minister of State to confirm that neither the catheterisation laboratory in Waterford or the National Forensic Mental Health Service will be delayed.

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