Delay pushed hospital bill up by €23m

THE construction cost of putting Cork’s super maternity hospital on a single site jumped by 76% to €53.6 million because it took the Government too long to reach a decision to build it.

An internal Health Service Executive audit examined the project and criticised the delays, which saw the bill increase from €30.3m to €53.6m in six years. This bill was the backbone of an eventual €79.7m project price.

The Central Expenditure Evaluation Unit’s (CEEU) spot check report on the scheme to amalgamate multiple maternity units at Cork University Hospital said the plan took shape before more stringent rules for costing projects came into force.