Results 22,301-22,320 of 26,795 for speaker:David Cullinane

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Construction of the National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (5 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: There will be a change of Government by then.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Construction of the National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (5 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: I do not say this often, but Mr. Tierney has given us a very impressive articulation of what is going to happen in the hospital. I thank him for that. I will return to the issue of the claims and seek more clarification from Mr. Gunning. Before that, however, the only date referred to in the opening statement is given in the context where it is said it is hoped to achieve substantial...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Construction of the National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (5 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: That is the date we are working towards. I want to come back to the claims issue now. I am not sure if Mr. Tierney or Mr. Gunning can answer this. There are 989 claims still outstanding, in whatever form they are outstanding, and there may well be more High Court challenges as well. As Mr. Gunning articulated earlier, there is a suspension of the process of dealing with those claims....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Construction of the National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (5 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: That is the point I am getting to now, and I understand that. It is the case, then, that all of these disputes, and the additional cost that may be associated with them, could go on for months, if not years, after the project is completed and the hospital is open and doing business.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Construction of the National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (5 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: While Mr. Gunning cannot forecast this, it is also possible that some of those 989 claims go before the High Court.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Construction of the National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (5 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: I understand that, but what I am saying is that it is possible.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Construction of the National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (5 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: I understand that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Construction of the National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (5 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: I understand the value point and had heard that but there are 989 outstanding claims. What I am trying to get at here is the process. Some of those may well end up before the High Court and that is a matter for the contractor if it disputes the conciliation process or the outcome of it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Construction of the National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (5 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: Yes. How many claims have been or are before the High Court so far?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Construction of the National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (5 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: That process, I presume, is not suspended or is it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Construction of the National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (5 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: Is it correct that two were resolved correct?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Construction of the National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (5 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: I want to go back to Mr. Gunning's opening statement. Maybe it was just an omission, but it would have been better had he mentioned this in his statement. He said that it was imperative that the NPHDB evaluates each claim and robustly defends those it considers not to be justified, which is fair enough. He also said that there was a comprehensive process in place for the assessment of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Construction of the National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (5 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: That would have been good information to give us. Immediately after making that point, he then said that robustly defending claims is both time-consuming and costly. I understand why the board has sought a pausing of the claims process. It wants to concentrate, with the contractor, on getting the hospital built and there is an element of wisdom in that. However, Mr. Gunning did say that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Construction of the National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (5 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: It is unlikely to be months, given where we are so far. Deputy Shortall raised this issue earlier as well. If it is a time-consuming process, then it would be good for us to have some sense as to when that process will resume. When Mr. Gunning said the process is suspended, does that mean all of the conciliation work is also suspended?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Construction of the National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (5 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: I know that claims can be lodged. I am talking about the conciliation process.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Construction of the National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (5 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: All parts are suspended but all will have to be done at some point.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Construction of the National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (5 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: I know it happens in other projects, but given the high profile of this project - and even though Mr. Gunning wants to talk about the other issues associated with the hospital, including the wonderful additional capacity it will provide for children - unfortunately there is some controversy, whether the development board likes it, around the costs that is not going to go away. People will be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Construction of the National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (5 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: It is likely to happen. It is not a question of potentially, but of very likely-----

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: Today will see the publication of the HSE's winter plan. I must put it to the Taoiseach that the time to provide for the winter plan for this year was last year's budget and the time to plan for next winter is this year's budget. It takes time to open beds, which is why 177 beds that are funded are still not open. Seventy two beds announced as part of last year's winter and national...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Oct 2022)

David Cullinane: Tell him to cop himself on.