Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The idea that we would not look at the design of the building when a cost overrun of this scale has happened is not acceptable. It certainly would not be acceptable to people who were spending their own money. The project costs have risen from €650 million to €1.4 billion. That is like getting a price of €250,000 to build a house and then two years later being told that the price is now €650,000. At that point, any individual would call in the architect, quantity surveyor and builder and tell them that it was not possible to build a house for the revised price because he or she does not have a budget of €650,000. They would all sit down and redesign the house to the budget available. They might go over that budget a little. Indeed, that usually happens but nobody would just accept the design as it is and agree to spend the €650,000. That is essentially what the Government is doing.

Does the Minister of State know why, given the massive overrun, consideration was not given to redesigning the building? That is what any individual would do with his or her own money and house.

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