Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Those words really came out of the Tánaiste's mouth, that his Government is determined that the taxpayer will get value for money in respect of the national children's hospital. Is he serious? It has gone from €650 million up to €2.2 billion and the chair of the board cannot guarantee that it will not go higher. If you want an example of Government incompetence, then look no further than the national children's hospital. Costs are blooming, the taxpayer is paying the bill, we have delay after delay, every single target missed, and we have a Minister over there who did not meet the board once last year because he is asleep at the wheel. He thinks it is somebody else's problem. The cheques keep on being written.

Children keep on being denied the hospital they deserve. This is the problem. The Government is completely asleep at the wheel.

I will ask the Tánaiste a very simple question because the board cannot guarantee this. Will this hospital start treating patients before 2026? The Taoiseach stood there last year and started saying the Opposition was being used as a pawn and all the rest of it. This was when we were saying that the Government needed to take a hard approach with the contractor, the Minister needed to get involved in this situation and the Government needed to use its muscle. The reply was that everything was fine and that patients would be treated this year. Patients will not be treated this year. The target has moved again. The board cannot guarantee the target and the likelihood is that no patient will be treated in that hospital by 2026.

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