Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Fianna Fáil was not aware. The Minister said that the gap funding model involving a single bidder was used in the UK. Scotland broke coverage up into three or four parts to allow the maximum possible competition. We were told at the briefing yesterday that costs would be €28 million this year and somewhere around €100 million next year. We were advised that depending on uptake, the bulk of the money will be front-loaded. Costs could certainly be in the region of €2 billion over ten years. Between that and the national children's hospital there is a very significant difference with the available funding envisaged under the national development plan, NDP. Has the Government reconsidered that plan in light of this spending? What is likely to be removed from the national development plan as a consequence of those two infrastructure projects?

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