Micheál Martin, the Tánaiste, blamed contractor Bam for the delays and escalating costs associated with the National Children’s Hospital, stating that the project has been inadequately resourced for some time. During his address at the Dáil, he urged Bam to allocate sufficient resources that will allow the hospital to be constructed as swiftly as possible.
Martin posited that the deadlines put forward by Bam might be part of a business ploy to extract more funds from the Irish public. He asserted that while the government is treating the contractor equitably, it will not unconditionally agree to complete the project at any cost nor concede on financing issues.
He also advised Sinn Féin’s financial spokesperson Pearse Doherty to be wary of being manipulated by the contractor in light of the reports of additional delays and soaring expenses presented at the Public Accounts Committee.
Doherty referred to the current scenario as an “utter mockery”, criticising the project for being a financial fiasco right from its inception with costs spiralling for taxpayers and billions of euros being carelessly wasted. He opined that with ongoing broken promises from the government, it’s a safe gamble that the hospital would not admit patients until 2026.
Doherty highlighted that every set target and financial limit has been exceeded. Initially, the hospital was projected to cost €650 million, but this has ballooned to a staggering €2.2 billion, with the board supervising the project unable to assure that it won’t escalate further.
Describing the situation as “absurd”, he slammed the government for losing complete control over the project’s cost and execution. He expressed his disappointment over the lack of accountability for these failures, stressing that no punitive action has been taken against the contractor for the delays. Conversely, Martin pointed out that the deadlines Doherty referred to were those imposed by Bam.
The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board, the Government and Bam have had consistent and rigorous communication regarding the costs and delays in the construction project. “The endeavour to secure additional funding and revenue from the citizens of Ireland is likely part of their commercial tactics,” he revealed.
Bam lodged approximately 2,782 claims, with 2,182 validated, incurring costs up to €85 million. However, he noted that 1,890 claims have been settled, resulting in a net increase of €22 million.
“Over recent years, there has been solid engagement via dispute resolution processes. While hundreds of billions have been submitted in claims, the ultimate impact of these claims is minuscule in comparison to the overall hospital expenditure,” he clarified.
The contractor company, development board and various arbitration mechanisms have had a notable and resilient conversation. The company, however, has failed to provide adequate resources to the site, he stressed.
He accused the Health Minister Stephen Donnelly of neglecting his duties. Mr Donnelly reportedly did not meet with the hospital board in the past year, indicating the current administration’s incompetency, according to Mr Doherty.