Results 1,621-1,640 of 20,758 for speaker:Alan Kelly

Public Accounts Committee: Children’s Health Ireland and National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Discussion (19 Oct 2023)

Alan Kelly: I appreciate that a number of the witnesses have not been involved throughout this project and were not responsible for some of the issues that went on in the past. I ask for short answers to my questions because our time is obviously limited. I am not being rude; it is just the way we have to work. Deputy Catherine Murphy and I have a long track record on this issue going back to a...

Public Accounts Committee: Children’s Health Ireland and National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Discussion (19 Oct 2023)

Alan Kelly: So we have a ballpark budget of €1.4 billion for the infrastructure and building of the hospital and we have €300 million for the work Ms Hardiman is doing as regards commissioning. By the way, does the commissioning include additional staffing?

Public Accounts Committee: Children’s Health Ireland and National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Discussion (19 Oct 2023)

Alan Kelly: Yes.

Public Accounts Committee: Children’s Health Ireland and National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Discussion (19 Oct 2023)

Alan Kelly: The current figures are that we have €1.4 billion plus €300 million, which is €1.7 billion, and it does not include staffing. That is plus X. We know that Mr. Gunning and Ms Hardiman - I have put my caveats as regards their roles, in fairness to them - have had to put in substantial claims on 31 May, both on the same day. The Department and the HSE are fully aware of...

Public Accounts Committee: Children’s Health Ireland and National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Discussion (19 Oct 2023)

Alan Kelly: That is right.

Public Accounts Committee: Children’s Health Ireland and National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Discussion (19 Oct 2023)

Alan Kelly: In fairness, they are listed.

Public Accounts Committee: Children’s Health Ireland and National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Discussion (19 Oct 2023)

Alan Kelly: I accept all that.

Public Accounts Committee: Children’s Health Ireland and National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Discussion (19 Oct 2023)

Alan Kelly: When does Mr. Tierney expect to be able to send a memo to the Government saying this is going to cost two point whatever billion euro?

Public Accounts Committee: Children’s Health Ireland and National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Discussion (19 Oct 2023)

Alan Kelly: So at the end of this month, Mr. Tierney expects that all the variables will be there for him to make a guesstimate as regards what it is.

Public Accounts Committee: Children’s Health Ireland and National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Discussion (19 Oct 2023)

Alan Kelly: As we all know, it will be well over €2 billion. I listened to the Taoiseach talk this morning on Newstalk about it. One of the things he said was that BAM did not have enough workers on site. That was effectively it in layman's terms. Is that an accurate statement? I ask Mr. Gunning to respond very briefly.

Public Accounts Committee: Children’s Health Ireland and National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Discussion (19 Oct 2023)

Alan Kelly: Let me just get it straight. Mr. Gunning has had a long history in this and in fairness to him, he has given very direct answers, I do not think there is a snowball's chance of the October deadline being met next year. In fairness to Mr. Gunning, he actually conditioned it in his commentary and in what he wrote, to protect himself. I think he is right. I do not think there is a snowball's...

Public Accounts Committee: Children’s Health Ireland and National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Discussion (19 Oct 2023)

Alan Kelly: We have a situation where the chair of the board, to be fair to him, is hoping that his project will be completed and handed over on 29 October 2024, but we have a severe doubt about that. We know that until that happens, Ms Hardiman's work and CHI's work cannot fully happen until the date is met accurately, although I acknowledge some preparatory work can be done. Is that not all correct?...

Public Accounts Committee: Children’s Health Ireland and National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Discussion (19 Oct 2023)

Alan Kelly: Yes, I appreciate that.

Public Accounts Committee: Children’s Health Ireland and National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Discussion (19 Oct 2023)

Alan Kelly: Okay. I wish to raise a couple of other specific issues in the remaining time. I have a question for Ms Hardiman on electronic healthcare. I am a huge advocate for it and I have been talking about it for nearly a decade. My background is in technology. Is this reversible back into all other health scenarios within the HSE? In other words, has it been tested so that this will eventually...

Public Accounts Committee: Children’s Health Ireland and National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Discussion (19 Oct 2023)

Alan Kelly: I accept that. I remember the history.

Public Accounts Committee: Children’s Health Ireland and National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Discussion (19 Oct 2023)

Alan Kelly: I just want to know if it is scalable.

Public Accounts Committee: Children’s Health Ireland and National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Discussion (19 Oct 2023)

Alan Kelly: I hope Mr. Gloster is watching this because we need whatever amount of money that has been spent on this not to be lost and for it not to be another small white elephant whereby we have one e-healthcare inside in the children's hospital and we have something else going on elsewhere. I thank Ms Hardiman.

Public Accounts Committee: Children’s Health Ireland and National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Discussion (19 Oct 2023)

Alan Kelly: Previously, €168 million for this hospital was coming from philanthropic sources. Could Mr. Tierney state if that is still the current figure or whether it is has gone up or down?

Public Accounts Committee: Children’s Health Ireland and National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Discussion (19 Oct 2023)

Alan Kelly: I am sorry but I just want the figure.

Public Accounts Committee: Children’s Health Ireland and National Paediatric Hospital Development Board: Discussion (19 Oct 2023)

Alan Kelly: It has not changed.