Wed Sep 25 08:11:07 UTC 2024: ## National Children’s Hospital Project Faces Further Delays and Cost Overruns: Developers Grilled by Oireachtas Committee

**Dublin, Ireland** – The long-delayed and over-budget National Children’s Hospital project faced intense scrutiny today at an Oireachtas Committee hearing, with developers grilled by TDs and Senators about the ongoing delays and spiraling costs.

The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) confirmed that the project, originally slated for completion in 2020 at a budget of €650 million, has seen its approved budget rise to €2.2 billion. The completion date has been pushed back by four years, with the current target set for June 2025.

During the hearing, NPHDB Chief Officer David Gunning stated that not a single room in the hospital is fully complete to the required standards, despite construction company BAM claiming over 3,000 clinical spaces are ready. Gunning asserted that the NPHDB “will not accept” BAM’s “ongoing deferral dates” and is withholding 15% of certified payments to the contractor.

The committee heard that BAM has lodged €748 million in additional cost claims, citing design changes and other unforeseen expenses. The NPHDB disputes the scale and validity of these claims, arguing that many of BAM’s claims are for minor updates and revisions.

The hearing also highlighted concerns about the hospital’s embodied carbon footprint and the lack of progress on sustainable features like a district heating system and solar panels.

In response to the NPHDB’s statements, BAM released a lengthy statement rejecting the allegations against them and attributing the delays to design errors identified by the NPHDB’s own design team. BAM claims it has been forced to undertake significant rework, including relocating thousands of ceiling-mounted services.

The committee, expressing concern over the escalating costs, repeated delays, and lack of a definitive timeline, has invited Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly to appear before them in a public session to discuss the issue. The National Children’s Hospital project remains a source of ongoing controversy and frustration for Irish taxpayers, with the future of the project still uncertain.

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