Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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2546. To ask the Minister for Health the extent to which the major hospital building programme is progressing in line with expectations; the extent to which the national children’s hospital, the national maternity hospital and other projects of a capital nature throughout the country such as Naas General Hospital are progressing in line with the urgency of their requirement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38104/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Government is committed to the development of the new children’s hospital (NCH), the new national maternity hospital (NMH) and other capital projects throughout the country.

All capital development proposals must progress through a number of approval stages, in line with the new lifecycle approach of the updated Public Spending Code, including detailed appraisal, planning, design and procurement before a firm timeline or funding requirement can be established.

Approval must be received for each individual stage to ensure that the proposal delivers value for money and remains affordable, and that sufficient funding is available to fund the project to completion, including equipping and commissioning costs.

The delivery of capital projects is a dynamic process and is subject to a number of key considerations, including service prioritisation, clarification of scope, determination of affordability, as well as the successful completion of the various capital project approval stages, which can impact on the timeline for delivery.

Like many other sectors of the economy, the construction sector has been severely impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and progress on capital projects under construction were delayed in 2020 and the impact of Covid-19 will continue well into 2021. In addition, the sector is challenged by Brexit and global supply chain issues.