Results 8,261-8,280 of 12,403 for speaker:Louise O'Reilly

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: As we sit here today, are there questions in Mr. Sullivan's mind about the ability of the board to oversee phase B that he requires assurance on and that he is hoping that PwC will give him assurance on for €450,000?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: The board itself has concerns about the oversight and Mr. Sullivan shares those concerns.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: I am talking about the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board, so we can start with that board.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: It has an issue with its capacity to exercise oversight.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: Mr. Sullivan also knows that those sorts of learnings come under the heading of closing the stable door after the horse has bolted because this money has been spent now.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: But it has been committed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: Okay. The shorthand for that is a cost overrun, I suppose. Last week we were advised that €90 million of the overrun will be incurred due to the project running over time by nine months. Every month it runs over, that is a cost of €10 million which, for the avoidance of any doubt, is €320,000 a day. That may seem like a small amount given the billions we are talking...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: Yes. What are the funding implications if this project runs over?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: Mr. Pollock will appreciate that is not much comfort in the context of a massive, catastrophic overrun on spending, which we know will have implications for other projects at a time when capacity within our health service is critically low. Mr. Pollock will be aware of that and that the knock-on consequences of this overrun will be paid for by other local projects. I hope I will have an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: That has to be understood in the context-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: Okay, but there is a fundamental-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: I will speak for myself on this. I am not in any way convinced by the explanation given about the €130 million. It sounds exactly like the explanation the witnesses' colleagues gave for the savings. I doubt the figure will be achieved because the assurances the Department is getting that the figure will be achieved are coming from the same place that gave assurances that the project...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: Another board, and just when there were not enough boards already. This strikes me as odd. A reference was made to a table in a document that we were given last week. It relates to construction cost drivers and was to give the speaker the opportunity to explain some of those drivers. No. 3, to which Ms Conroy also referred to, relates to €664 million prior to design development...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: We are certainly seeing that. That the design omissions point appears twice gives me pause for thought. As Mr. Pollock mentioned, we are discussing very large sums of money, but is he satisfied that providing more money for design omissions is normal for a construction project? Is there no penalty for the person responsible for the design omissions? Presumably, one could use terms such as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: Did the team have collective responsibility for the design omissions?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: The amount involved is €41 million.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: The amount is €41 million. It appears twice. The increase in cost was €21 million under No. 3. Under omissions in design, there is a figure of €20 million - a 3% increase on €664 million - and €21 million plus €20 million equals €41 million. Mr. Pollock can see how it all adds up. I referred to what I called a hands-off approach to keeping...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: Nothing I have heard has changed my mind.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: That is obvious to me, so it is shocking that it was not obvious to the people in question before now. Design omissions appear twice, and the sum total is €41 million, not €20 million. Is anyone responsible? Mr. Pollock referred to the board team tendering, so no one person was responsible. However, someone is racking up these bills and we know who will be paying them....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children's Hospital: Discussion (Resumed) (23 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: I am aware of that.