Results 17,441-17,460 of 26,768 for speaker:David Cullinane

Written Answers — Department of Health: Proposed Legislation (17 Nov 2020)

David Cullinane: 823. To ask the Minister for Health the current status and plans for advancing the Nursing Home Support Scheme (Amendment) Bill 2016 to give effect to the fair deal review; the legislative timeline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36877/20]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Business of Joint Committee (18 Nov 2020)

David Cullinane: I had asked a few weeks ago that we would do a session on Covid-19 vaccines. I think we had agreed on 16 December. That date is timely because it gives the new chairperson and the members of the task force time to examine all the issues. I propose that Brian MacCraith, who is the chairperson of the task force, be invited in. We should also have in Colm Henry, the HSE lead, and Professor...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Business of Joint Committee (18 Nov 2020)

David Cullinane: I have a second question. We got a submission from the Irish Association of Social Workers on adult safeguarding. It is an important issue because it relates to the ability of the association to examine cases in nursing homes. Several members of this committee who were members of the Covid-19 committee raised this issue previously. I thought it was an excellent submission. It is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital (18 Nov 2020)

David Cullinane: In his opening statement, Mr. Gunning says that the construction completion date was due to be August 2022. Obviously, that is not now going to happen. He said in response to the previous questioner that there is no expectation that this date would be met, but he cannot give an accurate date as to what the new completion date will be. He must have some estimate. This is the Joint...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital (18 Nov 2020)

David Cullinane: Could Mr. Gunning clarify if the construction completion date will be some time before the end of this year?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital (18 Nov 2020)

David Cullinane: No, that is not what I asked. I have very limited time and I need Mr. Gunning to listen to the questions I put to him and for him to respond. I have ten minutes. This is a serious issue. Could he please listen to the question and then answer the question that has been put? What I said is that Mr. Gunning said in his opening statement that the construction completion date was to be August...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital (18 Nov 2020)

David Cullinane: I understand all of that but Mr. Gunning must have some estimate. Is he saying that it might not be some time this year or it might not even be some time next year? In other words, that the board is not able to give this committee any date, that it has no idea when the completion date will be. Is that what Mr. Gunning is saying?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital (18 Nov 2020)

David Cullinane: Mr. Gunning cannot answer the question. I have asked him for even an estimate but he cannot give an answer.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital (18 Nov 2020)

David Cullinane: That is unsatisfactory. The reason I am coming back in is that the question has not been answered. It is deeply unfortunate that Mr. Gunning is not in a position to give an estimate or even some indication as to when the completion date will be. He said that, "despite ongoing engagement with the main contractor, we are still without a valid works programme that is in line with its...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital (18 Nov 2020)

David Cullinane: Is that a breach of the contract?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital (18 Nov 2020)

David Cullinane: It is a breach of the contract.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital (18 Nov 2020)

David Cullinane: We have established so far that we do not have a revised completion date. We have also established that there is at least one breach of the contract and that there is a penalty in place in terms of the 15% of moneys invoiced every month. Mr. Gunning also says, "In response to the contractor's reported delays and lack of compliant works programme, that...the executive are interrogating the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital (18 Nov 2020)

David Cullinane: So we have now established there are 600 claims and €200 million in dispute. Mr. Gunning also says that the dispute resolution process has been activated across a range of levels to deal with issues such as employers' representative, project board, conciliation and adjudication. They have all been used. There is one case before the High Court. Mr. Gunning gave some indication...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital (18 Nov 2020)

David Cullinane: But I specifically asked if it is to do with design?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital (18 Nov 2020)

David Cullinane: But the contractor, BAM, in response to an article in The Sunday Business Post, which I assume Mr. Gunning saw, said that the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board has still not provided BAM with a fully completed, co-ordinated design. Does Mr. Gunning dispute that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital (18 Nov 2020)

David Cullinane: That is the source of the dispute is it not, from BAM's perspective?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital (18 Nov 2020)

David Cullinane: Mr. Gunning also says that the board was using all levers available to it to work through the contractual process. I wish to ask Mr. Gunning a very direct question. I am putting this question for a specific purpose so I need him to answer the question very directly. Has the board ever considered pulling the plug on BAM and killing the contract? Has there ever been a discussion at board...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital (18 Nov 2020)

David Cullinane: I want to be very clear with Mr. Gunning about the termination option, to be fair to him as well. That is why I asked this question. Is he saying that there was discussion at board level on potentially terminating the contract with BAM, as one of the options that the board was looking it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital (18 Nov 2020)

David Cullinane: I take that is a "Yes".

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital (18 Nov 2020)

David Cullinane: Mr. Gunning says in his opening statement that this is a complex project and the contract is unique. I think he could go an awful lot further and say that it is a mess. It is bogged down in delays, controversy and escalating costs. The board is not in a position today to give us a revised timeframe. It is not in a position today to give us the total costs. We were told before that it...