Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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831.To ask the Minister for Health the name of the Secretary General who signed off on the construction contract for the National Children’s Hospital. [25281/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Department of Finance Circular 33/06 requires all public works projects that are delivered under the Exchequer-funded element of the Government's capital plan i.e. the National Development Plan, to be procured in accordance with the provisions laid down in the Capital Works Management Framework (CWMF). This was reaffirmed in Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Circular 01/16.

The CWMF is an integrated set of contractual provisions, guidance material, technical templates and procedures which cover all aspects of the delivery process of a public works project from inception to final project delivery and review to assist contracting authorities in meeting their ongoing procurement requirements.

The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) is statutorily responsible for the design. build and equipping of the new children's hospital (NCH). The form of contract used for the NCH capital project is based on the standard Office of Government Procurement (OGP) public works contract under the CWMF for employer designed projects. The NPHDB sought variations to the public works contract, which were minor in nature and mostly to facilitate the two-stage tendering process. These variations were subject to engagement with the Government Contracts Committee for Construction (GCCC). The GCCC is a forum for the discussion and development of public policy in the tendering and contracting of all aspects of construction projects.

In April 2017, Government approved the construction investment decision to enable the NPHDB to award the main construction contract with the successful tenderer.

The contract, signed between NPHDB and BAM in August 2017, allowed the below ground works (Phase A) to commence immediately. Prior to proceeding to the award of Phase B, the above ground construction, further approval was sought from Government and received in December 2018.