Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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240. To ask the Minister for Health the legal and consultancy costs to date associated with the St. James's site; the cost to date of preparatory works on the site; if a contract has been awarded to a construction company for building works on the site; the date on which he expects the project to be delivered; if provisions have been put in place for any expected financial and completion date overruns; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10510/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The granting of planning permission in April 2016 for the hospital, Paediatric Outpatient Department and Urgent Care Centres at Connolly Hospital and Tallaght Hospital was a huge and very welcome milestone for the project. An internationally recognised design team, supported by the experienced National Paediatric Hospital Development Board and Project Team, are in place to drive the new children’s hospital project and to ensure that the project is delivered in accordance with national policy to optimal design and value for money. The first phase of construction (site clearing works) on the site of the new children’s hospital began in August 2016 and will be substantially completed within a matter of weeks.

The tender process for the main construction works for the new children’s hospital, and for the Paediatric Outpatients and Urgent Care centres at Tallaght and Connolly Hospitals has recently concluded. Local and international companies participated in the highly competitive tender process. More than 35 people participated in review panels for the tenders. The tenders were reviewed and measured against a number of technical and financial criteria and were independently peer-reviewed by construction experts with extensive experience of projects of this size and complexity. A company has been notified that it is the preferred bidder however the contract has not been awarded yet. I intend to bring a Memorandum to Government in the coming weeks on the new children’s hospital. It is intended that the main contract and satellite contracts will be awarded end Q1 2017, subject to all necessary approvals.

The transition of services to the new children’s hospital is scheduled to commence in Q3 2021 with transition of services to the satellite centres commencing with Connolly in Q3 2018 and Tallaght in Q1 2019.

The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board is the statutory body charged with delivery of the capital project, I have asked it to respond to you directly regarding expenditure on legal, consultancy and preparatory works costs to date.