Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The question that Deputy Daly initially asked related to the timeframe for the construction of the new children's hospital. I answered that by saying it would be completed at the end of 2022 and opened in 2023. Those are the dates I have been given.

The Deputy also asked about the legal fees. In respect of legal costs, the NPHDB has statutory responsibility for planning, designing, building and equipping the new children's hospital. I have been informed that its legal fees were €409,000 in 2017, €128,000 in 2018 and €691,000 in 2019.

To respond to Deputy Kelly, he made a very fair point about projections of the timeline and the costs. As we all know, Covid is delaying matters. The Deputy asked about reprofiling the project into the future, but I will have to defer to the Minister on that and seek a written reply for the Deputy, if that is acceptable.

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