Local TD blasts ‘shambolic’ Children’s Hospital project

The whole National Children’s Hospital project has been nothing short of shambolic from day one.

This is according to Sinn Féin TD for Dublin South West Seán Crowe who expressed his anger and frustration with the lack of progress of the project, both in terms of the huge cost overruns and the long delays that have been “only longer and longer.”

He also said the hospital should have been finished two years ago and could cost three times more than the original cost.

He was speaking after chairing a meeting of the Oireachtas Health Committee last Wednesday (25th) with the NPHDB, the development board of the hospital.

“There are two simple questions that people ask about the National Children’s Hospital; when will it be finished and how much will it cost,” Deputy Crowe said.

“The CEO of the board couldn’t give me answers yesterday in the Oireachtas Health Committee and frankly, I don’t think anyone could at this stage can.

“The whole project has been nothing short of shambolic from day one.

“This hospital was meant to be open and treating sick children two years ago.”

Deputy Crowe (pictured above) was commenting after hearing David Gunning, chief officer of the NPHDB, tell the Oireachtas Health Committee that construction of the hospital was now at 94 per cent.

“As of right now, we do not have a detailed programme from BAM,” Gunning said.

“We do not have the detail setting out how the contractor plans to execute the last ten months of the project and, without that detail, I certainly would not go so far as to give any assurance to this committee in terms of the bankability of, or confidence in, the June 2025 date.”

After he told the committee that the completion date “will facilitate 2026 opening” he said he “would be very reluctant to give the committee any assurance or confidence in the June 2025 timeline, in the absence of the information that we need to look in detail and do a critical analysis.”

Deputy Crowe said he is also very concerned about the new National Maternity Hospital project, which is currently out to tender, following all the issues that have been encountered with the National Childrens Hospital project.

“Only this week we heard that of the more than 3,000 plus rooms that the developer BAM was supposed to have finished, not one has been accepted by the board as being ok,” he said.

“And then there is the huge cost of the building. This hospital was budgeted at a cost of €980 million in 2017.

“Now, it is almost two and a half times that at a whopping €2.2 billion. And there is no doubt in my mind that the final figure is going to be even more. Irish tax payers are paying for the crazy costs of how public contracts are awarded, looked at, and hopefully completed in this state.

“My worry now is that the contract for the new National Maternity Hospital is currently out to tender and we can’t afford to repeat the same mistakes again or the maternity hospital will not be completed within the next decade and who knows at what cost.”

Deputy Crowe also pointed out that on the last occasion the witnesses appeared before the committee, they spoke about the inadequate number of staff working on the hospital and that this was one of their key concerns at the time.

“Is there anything the board can do on the staffing element of this?” Deputy Crowe asked.

In response, David Gunning said that “it is important to point out, and we made the point in our opening statement, that the contractor did indicate that it would have 1,700 people – workers, operatives – on-site and that it would peak at that level.

“It has never got to that level and now we are at 630. Again, we say to BAM to get the resources and to get it finished. That is the message.”

John Lahart, Fianna Fail TD for Dublin South West, asked would the NPHDB board recommend BAM for any State project in the future based on its experience.

In response, Gunning said he had “clear opinions on that” but did not “believe I should answer.”

“The big learning point from the private sector building large buildings is that if you do not perform as a supplier or construction partner with one of these companies in the private sector you do not get to bid on the next project,” Gunning said.

“It is accepted in the private sector that your performance is your dance ticket and opening card for the next project.

“The State does not operate in this way.

“I am not a procurement expert but I believe this is due to EU procurement rules which preclude this at present.”