Results 4,281-4,300 of 24,567 for speaker:Róisín Shortall

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

Róisín Shortall: I welcome our guests and thank them for their presentations. I would like to return to the table of claims we were talking about a few minutes ago and to clarify the situation. The number of claims determined by the employer's representative, ER, was 1,131. Determined claims that are disputed and referred to the project board amounted to 989. Does that imply that the difference of 142...

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

Róisín Shortall: Eight cases out of 1,131 have been resolved.

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

Róisín Shortall: What is the timeline for resolving the other 1,123?

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

Róisín Shortall: I accept that. However, is that not kicking the can down the road?

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

Róisín Shortall: That would seem to indicate a problem with the disputes process. Parking that number of claims for some time down the road seems to make no sense at all. I would be concerned that the opening of the hospital will be delayed because of that level of ongoing dispute.

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

Róisín Shortall: Okay. With all due respect, that is not normally the way big projects work. The development board does not want to find itself in a position where it is over a barrel in respect of the opening of the hospital because of the enormous number of disputes that have been parked and remain to be resolved. A difficult situation will arise because those disputes have not been resolved at the point...

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

Róisín Shortall: What is the proposal? When is the large quantum of claims going to be addressed?

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

Róisín Shortall: When will that process commence?

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

Róisín Shortall: I understand that. When are we going to start tackling the claims? For how long have they been parked?

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

Róisín Shortall: How long more will it remain in place?

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

Róisín Shortall: There is no agreement on that point.

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

Róisín Shortall: We have no idea when these claims are going to be addressed.

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

Róisín Shortall: Has the Department concerns about this matter not being addressed and being pushed out to some point in the future and about the potential implications for the opening of the hospital?

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

Róisín Shortall: I understand the process. My question is-----

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

Róisín Shortall: -----when will the process start?

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

Róisín Shortall: I thought that would be part of any agreement. A moratorium to concentrate on the construction works is valid and understandable. However, our guests must have some indication of when they will tackle this thorny and potentially expensive issue. This is an enormous issue. There are more than 1,000 claims outstanding and our guests cannot say when that will be addressed or when any process...

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

Róisín Shortall: I am not looking for an actual date. How long will the moratorium last?

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

Róisín Shortall: It should be a matter of concern to the Department. I should have said at the outset that I visited the hospital a few months ago with other members and was extremely impressed. It is a magnificent development on a scale unlike any other public building in this country. I have no doubt it will be fantastic when it finally opens. Our concern today are the costs involved and the kind of...

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

Róisín Shortall: Okay. Does the six-month period for commissioning that was talked about include the two types of commissioning, namely, the technical and the integration of the three other hospitals?

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

Róisín Shortall: The integration is likely to take six months.