The chair of the board tasked with overseeing the building of the new national children’s hospital will tell a committee tomorrow that contractor claims “have not had a material impact to date”

The Government has given a "blank cheque" to the children's hospital which risks seeing the project's "monopoly money" spending surge past €2bn, TDs have warned.

The Taoiseach has admitted he does not know why the State’s chief procurement officer, Paul Quinn , resigned from the development board of the National Children’s Hospital.

More than €1m has been paid to a communications company managing publicity for the National Children’s Hospital, it has emerged.

The chairperson of the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Fianna Fáil TD Sean Fleming has made a call for the establishment of a National Capital Projects Agency, similar to the National Assets Management Agency (NAMA).

Health Minister Simon Harris has steered clear of criticising the main oversight bodies involved in the new children’s hospital project for massive cost overruns - instead pointing the finger of blame at professional advisory firms.

It is estimated that a further €293m will be needed for the National Children’s Hospital's completion, bringing the total cost to almost €1.73bn, with PwC saying that, unless a number of ‘risk areas’ are addressed, the price could shoot up further.

A public grilling of the officials in charge of the crisis-hit national children's hospital project will be delayed until mid-May because an independent review of what happened will not be completed on time.

Efforts to clampdown on and control negative publicity around the spiralling costs of the National Children’s Hospital began last August, when the scale of the overrun became apparent to those responsible for delivering it.

The new national children’s hospital will have to install a water sprinkler system despite efforts by its development board to have this fire safety measure excluded.

The Health Minister Simon Harris says An Bord Pleanála will have the final say on the fire requirements for the new National Children's Hospital.

Management at the National Paediatric Hospital has rejected criticism over its fire safety measures after reports that it sought a derogation from some conditions.

The board of the National Children's Hospital has said the provision of fire sprinkler protection measures in the new hospital will exceed the number that is set out within fire safety legislation.

Two key roles for the development of the new national children’s hospital at the St James’ Hospital campus in Dublin could not be filled within official pay guides.

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The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) has said a project delay of two and a half years can be expected should an alternative site to the Mater be chosen for the Children's Hospital.

Designs for the children’s hospital failed to address serious concerns about parking capacity, access by motorists, and availability of public transport.

A NEW national children’s hospital to be built on the site of the existing Mater Hospital in Dublin will provide “a world-class medical facility”, a public inquiry heard yesterday.

An Bord Pleanála has heard that the planned new children's hospital at the site of the existing Mater Hospital in Dublin will provide a "world class medical facility".

THE HSE board was warned of “accountability and responsibility” issues within the national children’s hospital project a year ago but failed to address the situation.

A TEAM of international experts committed to a review of plans to build a new national children’s hospital on the Mater Hospital campus are not required to visit the controversial site.

An independent review is to be carried out into the project to build the new National Children’s Hospital on the site of the Mater Hospital in Dublin, it was announced today.

THE body overseeing the controversial national children’s hospital Mater site plans has lost its second chairman in just six months over claims of political interference.

THE possibility of relocating the proposed new children’s hospital from Dublin city centre to a site off the M50 has been discussed by incoming Taoiseach Enda Kenny with those driving the development.

A BITTER row has broken out between Health Minister Mary Harney and former chief of the National Paediatric Hospital Philip Lynch over the reasons for his resignation.