Maire Devine (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I, too, wish to pay tribute to Senator Grace O'Sullivan. She was my second favourite candidate in the European elections. Well done to her.We will miss her. Three years ago, she raised the issue of microbeads and, in turn, raised the consciousness levels of Senators in respect of it. We have reached the stage that the problem of microbeads has been eclipsed by the wider issue of climate action. I wish her all the best. She will continue to be a great eco-warrior, something that is certainly needed in the European Parliament.

I wish to bring the House back to the issue of the national children's hospital. A report published in today's edition of The Irish Timesstates that in the three months to March, the HSE, under its the interim director general, went €103 million over budget. I wish to address the impact of the project on the local community. Since 2015, the Ceannt Fort Residents Association along with residents of Mount Brown, the South Circular Road and Kilmanham have asked for ministerial oversight on what is the biggest health project in the State. That has not been given in spite of our repeated requests. There is also the massive scandal of the €2 billion overspend, which is the gift or the scandal that keeps on giving. We were initially told that there would be no cuts to capital investment projects as a result of the overspend, but it now transpires that there will. Anne O'Connor, the director general designate of the HSE, stated clearly that there will be such cuts, which will particularly affect disability and acute hospital services. I ask the Leader to bring the Minister for Health to the House to answer questions on this matter. Local groups and residents have been particularly negatively impacted and their houses are crumbling and need more infrastructural work. There are High Court proceedings under way in respect of that issue, so we cannot really talk about it. The Minister should clarify the position on the project which is constantly bumping along. BAM has lodged claims for extra costs, although there is no transparency in that regard thus far. The Minister should spell out to Senators how it is intended to manage the project, which will continue with the subsequent construction of maternity hospital on the same congested site. I sincerely hope that the Leader can get the Minister to come to the House in order that he might, in particular, give succour to residents who have put up with the project for the past five years and who continue to do so 24-7.There seems to have been no meaningful caring on the part of or response from BAM or the HSE in particular. I would appreciate such a response and so would the residents.