Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Whatever about it being disadvantageous for the Taoiseach to give a final figure of costs to the Dáil, let me tell the Taoiseach that it is wholly disadvantageous and unacceptable that the Government has set out on this project with a totally open-ended contract, playing advantage at every turn to the developer, such that we have spent €1.1 billion of taxpayers’ money.

We have €500 million of developer claims outstanding and we have a Government, Taoiseach and Minister for Health with no notion of what the final bill will be. That is not accountability for taxpayer money and is certainly not a way to do business. Is it the Taoiseach's understanding that there will be a request for further funding for the children's hospital? When will it be made? Has he any notion what the quantum of it will be? I do not accept his answer that he cannot tell people how much this piece of infrastructure will cost, but can he tell us when it will be open and operational?

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