'We cannot say exactly where it is going to end up' - Chairman on children's hospital costs

The chairman of the board overseeing the construction of the national children's hospital has admitted that the final costs for its build are unknown.

Fred Barry told the Public Accounts Committee that construction inflation would add to the final bill but that the cost to date was still within the agreed €1.433bn.

But the chairman of the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board conceded that additional costs could not be pinned down.

While the contract for the hospital build allows for and includes inflation running at 4%, the current rate is 7%. Mr Barry told PAC members:

“It is true, we cannot say exactly where it is going to end up.”

TDs asked him about redacted documents about the build and why details were hidden. Mr Barry confirmed that documents had been redacted from the board regarding conversations around inflation costs and their circumstances.

After questioning, he admitted that, with a 7% rate of inflation, an extra €50m could be added to the final bill for the hospital construction.

Elsewhere, Independent TD Catherine Connolly was highly critical of the hospital board team for “wasting” money by using a PR company to prepare for the PAC meeting. She pointed to a communications spend of some €338,451 overall last year, which she said was “extraordinary”.

But she lashed the board, who use the services of firm Q4, for spending funds on PR.

It was “totally unnacceptable” and a “waste of taxpayers” to get PR advice for the PAC meeting, declared the TD.