Duncan Smith (Dublin Fingal, Labour)
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17. To ask the Minister for Health if he will commit that there will be no further delays to the delivery of the national children's hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39356/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Timely completion of the New Children’s Hospital is a Government priority and must be for all those involved.

In the last year alone, the contractor has deferred the date to deliver this new building four times.

Everyone will share the frustration over the repeated delays to substantial completion of the building. We need to open the doors of this world class hospital for our children, their families and our fantastic paediatric healthcare professionals.

This is not about getting into a blame game or war of words. Rather, this is about ensuring the contractor is accountable for its repeated failure to meet its own programmed schedules.

What is now needed to unlock this project is a contractually compliant and resource-loaded programme from BAM and unwavering commitment to deliver to it, to give certainty to all.

This is about ensuring the contractor is accountable for its failures to meet its own programmed schedules.

The focus of the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board is to ensure that the standards and finishes of the over 5,500 rooms are to the highest international standards. We must have a snag free hospital.

This plan, with adequate resourcing and high standard of finish, are commitments that BAM must provide.

I expect all parties to now work collaboratively to ensure this much needed hospital is opened for children, their families, and our dedicated healthcare professionals, without further delay.