Joe Neville (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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99. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the National Children's Hospital; the current timelines for when the project will be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [64553/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Opening the National Children’s Hospital Ireland (NCHI) is a top priority for Government. Everything possible is being done to achieve this. Construction completion of the building is near, but a realistic date of substantial completion is within the gift of BAM to both commit to and deliver on.

The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB), BAM and the Employer’s Representative are engaging on ensuring a compliant final programme is in place. This will detail how and when BAM will complete the building to the expected standards and hand it over in totality to the NPHDB.

I remain clear on what needs to happen here; BAM needs to provide the resources necessary to complete all rooms to the contractual standard. Completed rooms must be handed over to NPHDB in a logical, methodical, and timely manner.

Our immediate priority is to get additional early access for Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) as soon as possible. This will enable CHI to minimise potential challenges during the post substantial completion phase by easing operational commissioning pressure.

I welcome the fact that BAM has now committed to enabling the first phase of additional early access for CHI within a matter of weeks. I expect them to live up to this commitment and drive on to substantially complete the hospital as soon as possible thereafter.

I look forward to visiting the site again when CHI are provided with this additional early access.