Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I do have confidence in the hospital board and the Department of Health to manage this project. To answer the Deputy's question, it is my firm view that when this project is complete, few people will think it was a bad investment. Those who have seen the facilities we now have in Blanchardstown and the first phase of that development, namely, the urgent care centre, will see what an improvement it is on the facilities at the Temple Street hospital, for example. The same applied to the Luas, the port tunnel, Terminal 2 and Knock Airport. There were many critics of the investment made in those projects, few of whom even recall today that they were critics. Although when the hospital is built and commissioned, people will change their minds on this, I accept that in the meantime, it will be a controversial story and issue.

On the analysis and costs, the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board has, at the request of the Minister for Health, undertaken an assessment of the project. The board and the Department are nearing the finalisation of this detailed analysis and this will provide the appropriate assurances to the Government that there has been a robust analysis of the way forward to ensure the delivery of a world-class children's hospital. In December 2018, the previous Government approved an investment decision of €1.433 billion for the capital project. Several items are not included in this figure because there is no price certainty for them, nor can there be any for the duration of the project, including construction, hyperinflation and the impact of Covid-19.

Until the analysis work is complete, it would be premature to speculate on any definitive budget or timeline updates. I confirm that no revised estimate has been shared with the Government. Since the analysis relates to a live contract, it is commercially sensitive and must remain confidential to ensure that the contractual relationships are not adversely affected and that the Government gets the best price at the end of the day. Relevant stakeholders will be updated when the analysis is complete.

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