David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Excuse me, I am putting questions to the Tánaiste. His Ministers, including the one sitting next to him, were talking about March of next year as a completion date and then the Department of Health was saying it could be May. I did not put those dates out there. The board did and they were reiterated by the Minister. Previous dates were stated by previous Ministers as well.

On costs, the Tánaiste's Government approved the total programme cost of €1.7 billion, and we now know the board is looking for hundreds of millions of euro more. The Tánaiste is saying the days of throwing more money at this project are gone. Will he wake up and see what is happening? Is he seriously telling me the Government is not going to give any more money to this project? That is not what we are being told by the board.

My understanding is this will go to Cabinet. Before any more taxpayers' money is handed over, will the Government guarantee there will be a completion date that is real and realistic, not fictitious?

Let us get this hospital built. This is not about anybody playing politics. This is about making sure this hospital is built for the children who need it.

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