Dáil debates

Thursday, 24 October 2019

National Children's Hospital: Statements

 

3:35 pm

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I pressed for this debate at the Business Committee because the massive overruns relating to the national children's hospital, involving hundreds of millions of euro of public money, and the resignation of the chief procurement officer from the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board are examples of the substantial and important issues which have been overshadowed by the Dáil voting scandal. The latter involves many aspects, of course, and has, critically, called into question for many the integrity and credibility of the voting system and the House. While that needs to be investigated in and of itself, an unfortunate consequence is the overshadowing of the issues regarding the national children's hospital, which would otherwise have been at the top of the news agenda. They are issues of enormous national importance. The country has been scandalised by the level of the overruns which have seen the initial cost estimate of €500 million increase to €766 million, then to €983 million and on to €1.4 billion. There is now of a figure of €1.7 billion and suggestions that the cost will rise above €2 billion. This involves hundreds of millions of euro that could have been allocated to other things and overruns which may affect other vital health capital projects. Deputy Bríd Smith tells me that there are serious questions over primary care centres in her area in Drimnagh. While she is not certain about the centre's fate, it seems to no longer be on the capital programme on which it formerly appeared. She has asked questions but I do not know about it for certain. The point remains, however, that this is a great deal of money and people have been scandalised by it. Against that background, I find the response of the Taoiseach and the Minister on the resignation of the chief procurement officer incredible.

The chief procurement officer, Mr. Quinn, was appointed by the Minister in 2013. It was a Government appointment and he was presumably given the position because of expertise in the area of public procurement. He was put in charge of the largest capital project in the history of the State and that project then spiralled out of control as a result of underestimates. We have had a damning report from PwC on how badly the project has been mishandled, how gross were the underestimates and how there was a failure to anticipate higher demands from contractors and so on. Against that background and rumours that the Taoiseach is briefing the Leader of the Opposition about possible further overruns because of further demands from contractors that could push it well above the already shocking current figure, the Minister says the resignation of the chief procurement officer is not a matter for comment. I find it unbelievable he does not think that this is news or that the Taoiseach could say it is a private matter and that it is nothing to do with him, so why on earth would he make a statement. That stretches credibility. Does the Minister accept that most people looking on and seeking transparency, clarity, answers and accountability with regard to the scandal involving this project will consider it odd that there has been yet another resignation of a key civil servant? He was not only responsible for public procurement on this project but was in charge of public procurement more generally, including €9 billion worth of procurement projects in the year he was appointed. Yet, there are no questions and no comment from the Minister and we are told this is not a subject of interest. It is, in fact, a subject of huge interest for the public and the Minister's answer is, frankly, unacceptable. The Taoiseach's approach is not acceptable. There must be a full explanation as to whether the resignation was linked to the continuing and likely increase in the cost overruns relating to the national children's hospital, which is already a major national scandal.

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