Results 8,721-8,740 of 12,773 for speaker:Louise O'Reilly

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Data (16 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: 210. To ask the Minister for Health the number of nurses based at Dungloe Community Hospital, County Donegal in each of the years 2004 to 2018 and to date in 2019, in tabular form. [2037/19]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Data (16 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: 211. To ask the Minister for Health the temporary replacement beds available to Carndonagh Community Hospital, County Donegal in other hospitals in the county during the refurbishment works in the time ahead to ensure that there will no loss of beds and service to the local community. [2038/19]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (16 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: I thank all the witnesses for coming in this morning. While Deputy Donnelly was teasing out the figures, it struck me that, whereas we all know that cost overruns can happen, in this case, the overruns are on a monumental scale. If I was having work done on my house and the costs were escalating at this rate, I am not sure I would continue with the contractors. The board seems to have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (16 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: I thank Ms Hardiman for her comments. I do not accept there are empty beds when there are people and children waiting for them but I will investigate that further.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (16 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: I would be very grateful for a report.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (16 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: Mr. Costello has said that it was the best option in terms of cost. Is he suggesting that other people could have contributed more to the massive escalation in costs? Such a claim lacks credibility. I have read the slides and as I am conscious that our time is short, I would rather that we did not go through them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (16 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: At the initial tender process stage, did nobody ask why one bid was €132 million less than every other bid? If that was me I would find such situation alarming. If I was tendering for a contract to install a few presses I would wonder how someone else could do the job for substantially less. I do not believe there are other people who could escalate the costs at quite that rate....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (16 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: I am sorry to cut across Mr. Costello, but does he now accept - I am trying to choose my words carefully, but a former Taoiseach used to refer to "smoke and daggers" - that items the board wanted may have been left out of that competitive bid, ensuring it was the lowest bid? Mr. Costello is saying that the board was obligated to go with the lowest bid. That does not make any sense, as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (16 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: Clearly, they knew. They must have had a handle on how the costs could escalate. When the board was considering the bids, did no one express concern that one of them appeared to be an outlier in terms of cost and might not be able to deliver this project for that amount? It was far out of line. The sum of €131 million is not a small amount of money; it is a huge amount. If one...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (16 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: With respect, that makes it worse because Mr. Costello should have known. I am simply a householder and am not involved in construction so if I am engaging somebody to do so some work, I could be forgiven for going with the lowest bidder who turns out to be three times the initial cost quoted to me.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (16 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: I would say it was. They were bidding for a very lucrative contract. I asked Mr. Costello another question in respect of the Minister. At some point in the proceedings, I would like to think someone in the process put up his or her hand to ask a few questions. If it was not the witnesses, then maybe it was the Minister. The Minister made public comments on the costs and he has now been...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (16 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: Does Mr. Costello meet the Minister directly?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (16 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: I understand the structure. Mr. Costello does not meet the Minister. Is he-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (16 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: I am talking about formal seated meetings with a calculator out. If the Minister has a flashing red light going off and he is concerned about the monumental overrun, he will then go through that structure and communicate to Mr. Costello that he has a concern. Has he communicated any concerns on the overrun to Mr. Costello?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (16 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: I mean specifically in the intervening time between when the Minister made a statement about the cost and that being subsequently contradicted. In the intervening time, while the cost was escalating, did the Minister communicate to Mr. Costello, either through the formal structure, informally at an event, in writing or in any other way, that he had a concern about the cost overrun?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (16 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: I am sorry, I am not trying to trip up Mr. Costello. If the Minister had a concern and he wanted to relay that to Mr. Costello, was Mr. Costello aware that the Minister had any concerns, either through the structure or any other way? Was it made known to Mr. Costello that the Minister had a concern?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (16 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: I do not want an explanation. I want to understand whether, if the Minister had a concern, he raised it with Mr. Costello. If he did, was there a response to it? That is not clear. It is a really simple question and it should be clear.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (16 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: Mr. Costello will appreciate that it does not seem that way to everybody. I have one more question and then I will save my questions until after the break in the interest of time. Mr. Costello said that when he learned of the level of the increase in the costs, his reaction was to commission an external review. How much did that cost?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (16 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: I am referring to the one Mr. Costello spoke about in his submission.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (16 Jan 2019)

Louise O'Reilly: My question was just about the cost of that review. Mr. Costello can see how it looks to other people because of the phrase that when one is in a hole one should stop digging but when there is a massive cost overrun, if one attempts to spend his or her way out of that, it does not look right to people. I would appreciate details on the money that was spent on that.