Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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423. To ask the Minister for Health when the new National Children's Hospital is due to open; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45560/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The timely completion of the New Children’s Hospital (NCH) is a Government priority. Everything possible is being done to ensure the project is completed as soon as possible on behalf of children, young people and their families.

The two satellite centres, which represent major milestones in the programme, are open and delivering the new model of care. Construction of the new hospital has advanced to over 94% complete against contract value, with the fit out of rooms and installation of medical equipment well underway.

The substantial completion of NCH is informed by the contractor’s programme of works and its ability to meet the targets set out in its own programme. ?

The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) has advised that, on 2 October 2024, BAM Ireland submitted an updated programme underpinning its intention to complete the NCH by June 2025. That programme remains under review by the independent contract administrator. BAM Ireland has also publicly noted its commitment to the project, and its completion of the project by June 2025.

NPHDB is continuing to use the full extent of levers available to it under the contract to hold BAM to its new commitment of substantially completing the hospital by June 2025.

Once substantial completion is achieved, the hospital will be handed over to Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) for a post substantial completion operational commissioning period of at least 6 months.

Ahead of the transition to the new facilities, a significant body of work is ongoing to integrate the three hospitals from a clinical, operational, and cultural perspective.

While much focus has been on the challenges faced by the project, it is important to note that once open, the NCH will provide world class facilities to its patients. The NCH is unprecedented in scale, facilities, and technological advancement. It will be transformational in how we treat and deliver care to children and their families. The hospital has been designed and constructed to be as enduring and adaptable as possible. It is a building for the next 75-100 years, rather than the 40-50 years of other hospitals internationally.

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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424. To ask the Minister for Health the final projected cost of the new National Children's Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45561/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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On 13 February 2024, Government approved enhanced capital and current budget sanctions for the New Children’s Hospital (NCH) project and programme, bringing the total approved budget to €2.24billion.

Included in this is the capital budget of €1.88 billion for designing, building and equipping the NCH and the two satellite centres. A separate €362 million budget is in place for the programme of integration and transition of services to the NCH, including commissioning, ICT, and the Electronic Health Record system.

This approved increase in the capital budget addresses long-standing additional budget requirements not included within the original budget and set out in the 2019 PwC report, including the impact of construction inflation greater than 4%, impacts to supply chains arising from the pandemic and other global events, and the contractor’s right to claim for additional true costs in line with public works contract provisions.

The Government considers that the project now has sufficient funding to address identified risks and see the hospital completed and opened.

Réada Cronin (Kildare North, Sinn Fein)
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425. To ask the Minister for Health the process by which the new National Children's Hospital will be named; if he will consider naming it after Dr Kathleen Lynn; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45562/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The New Children’s Hospital project remains the most significant capital investment programme undertaken in the healthcare system in Ireland. It will provide world-class, state of the art facilities where our healthcare professionals will deliver optimal care, leading to better health outcomes for all. This is a much-needed and much-deserved investment in our children and young people.

I acknowledge the importance of the naming of the New Children’s Hospital, which is a key enabler in the strategic reform of healthcare services for children and young people for generations to come.

Children’s Health Ireland engaged the services of a specialist marketing agency to undertake a branding exercise. The exercise methodology included engagement with patient families and youth groups.

This is currently under consideration by the National Oversight Group, following which the Government will be making a decision on the naming of the New Children’s Hospital in due course.