'The sod was supposed to be turned this month ' - Dublin councillor furious at delay to maternity hospital amid minsiter's reassurance

Health Minister Simon Harris has dismissed concerns that a plan to move the National Maternity Hospital to a new campus is in danger of collapse, because of construction delays.

Mr Harris said this was “simply not the case”, in response to reports that the deputy chair of the hospital board had grave concerns the delays could scupper the project.

At the weekend, Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns told the annual meeting of the Irish Hospital Consultants’ Association (IHCA) that the green light for the project should have been given six months ago, and that work on the pharmacy and car park had to be started by year end, to comply with EU law on European energy requirements for new buildings.

“If this does not happen, it will fold and we will be back to square one,” Mr Kearns told the meeting.

He said the deadline for the go-ahead was October 1 and that this had not happened. If work did not begin before the end of the year, the design would need to be withdrawn.

Yesterday, Dublin City councillor Claire Byrne, who is a member of the board, said there had been concerns about foot-dragging by the department in terms of giving the project the go-ahead.

The sod was supposed to be turned this month and it hasn’t happened,” said Ms Byrne. “This hospital is greatly needed for the women of Ireland. The minister has not been moving it forward and it is time he did.

Approval for the work was taken over from the HSE by the Department of Health. There were suggestions from Mr Kearns of a deterioration in relations between the department and the hospital board, on foot of the hospital taking High Court action to stop an inquiry into the death of woman during surgery for ectopic pregnancy.

Mr Harris had referred the case for inquiry to the health watchdog and the hospital challenged this successfully in the High Court.

In an interview on RTÉ radio yesterday, Mr Harris said he hoped to “be in a position, by the end of this year, to give the green light” to the works and that work had been ongoing by his officials to “future proof, in terms of governance and legal protections”.

Mr Harris said both hospitals were committed to the project and that he was committed and “we’ve just got to work our way through a number of issues”. He said his officials would be meeting with the board in the coming weeks.

The project will see Holles St hospital relocate to the campus of St Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin. It caused major controversy last year, when the public learned the NMH would be owned by the Sisters of Charity after it moved, amid fears of Catholic interference. The Sisters subsequently announced that they were withdrawing.

The minister also said he would publish figures on budget day for setting up an abortion service.

He said it would cost “many millions”.