Dáil debates

Thursday, 24 October 2019

National Children's Hospital: Statements

 

3:55 pm

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Will the Minister inform the House as to whether there have been any additional costs aside from those of which we have already been informed by the Minister? Will he give the updated figure on the estimated overall cost? A number of Deputies mentioned there may be new design issues, which have been put in the public domain. Will the Minister inform the House if there are new design issues of which Members have not been made aware that may complicate the progression of the project?

One of our jobs in opposition is to scrutinise Government. The Minister must accept that this is reasonable. I am not calling into question the bona fides of the individual, Mr. Quinn, who is obviously a highly competent person - we all accept that. However, the head of the public procurement agency sat on a board and there was a major scandal around the project that the board was there to supervise. Then that person resigned and stepped away from the position. It is reasonable for us to ask why, especially when others in the media and elsewhere are saying that, potentially, he resigned because of continuing cost overruns. Can the Minister inform the House why he resigned? Can the Minister give us an assurance that he did not resign because of any cost overrun issues, any issues relating to the operation of the board, governance or any other issues? It is a serious matter.

Earlier, I mentioned one project in my constituency that I believe was delayed by several months because of indecision as a consequence of the overspend on the national children's hospital. The Government has never conceded this was the case for a range of projects. It would be helpful if the Minister was in a position to outline to the House specifically what projects and services have suffered as a consequence of the overrun and what was undoubtedly a pause by HSE estates in respect of a range of capital projects. This happened because the HSE was trying to figure out which ones to progress and which ones not to progress. By the way, that actually led in turn to the capital plan being published in September or October - nine months into the year. Was the cost overrun the reason the capital plan was delayed?

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