John Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The question I wish to raise in the context of the programme for Government relates to the delivery of the national children’s hospital. On 18 August last, the Government was informed that there would be substantial overruns in the budget. In November, the Government was made aware of the board’s recommendation to accept the €450 million overrun and it signed off on that in December. This month, following a public outcry, it was announced that PricewaterhouseCoopers, PwC was to carry out a review at a coast of €500,000 approximately. Why was the review by PwC not ordered in August when the Minister for Health was first made aware of the overruns and when something could possibly have been done about it? Now that we have signed off on the €450 million, we are at the point of no return.

See this speech in context