Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. We have all known for some time that the cost was going to go above €1.4 billion, which was the formal cost signed off on by the Government. Intensive negotiations are happening between the contractor and the development board. The sums of money involved are large. I do not have a figure. No one does, as there has been no resolution to many of the issues. The contractor undoubtedly has legitimate claims in some cases, and those claims should be respected. In other cases, the clear advice I have is that there are claims for very sizable amounts of money that the development board and the State flatly reject and do not believe we have to pay. No one is trying to be difficult.

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