Taoiseach admits 'lessons have to be learned' from children's hospital budget overruns
Taoiseach Micheál Martin gives a high five to Liam Tomney, 4, during his visit to the National Children's Hospital site. Pictures: Julien Behal
The Taoiseach has said that while “lessons have to be learned” from the budget overruns at the National Children’s Hospital, he expects the finished building to move the country's paediatric care up "a significant number of levels”.
However, as he attended the build site at St James's Hospital campus in Dublin, the Taoiseach declined to comment when asked what the over-budget project says about the State’s ability to manage large-scale infrastructure construction, since he was present “for a positive reason”.
At a media tour of the construction site, which is now 80% complete, those in attendance heard that the projected go-live date for the new hospital is now September 2024.
The hospital, which could cost in excess of €2bn after being initially projected more than five years ago to cost barely a quarter of that, is expected to reach its significant completion date at the end of March 2024. A six-month commissioning process will then commence.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly was also present, but declined to say when the full project cost would be made public. He said doing so would be inappropriate as “there is a very large amount of money up for dispute”.
The National Paediatric Health Development Board, the body which has responsibility for the delivery of the hospital, is contending with more than 1,000 disputed contractual claims taken from lead contractor BAM.
Details about the project’s budget, which was last officially set at €1.7bn two years ago, have been kept secret since last February, with the Department of Health saying that to release them would be inappropriate due to ongoing “commercial concerns”.
Regarding the disputes with BAM, Mr Donnelly said: “It’s a very large quantum of money and so it would not be in the interest of the State now for us to start giving estimates as to where we think that is going to pan out."
Asked how the new hospital — which will host 5,000 staff but has just 1,100 car-parking spaces, just 325 of which have been designated for employees — will satisfy demand for parking, Mr Donnelly said that the issue of climate change needs to be taken “deadly seriously”.
“Part of that is moving to more sustainable living within cities. We can and we will use public transport more,” he said, adding that one of the new hospital's three entrances will connect directly to a dedicated Luas stop.
Giving a tour of the site, which encompassed several wards, the intensive care station, and operating theatres, project director with the NPHDB Phelim Devine spoke of how he expects the facility to be a “brilliant hospital”, one which will be best in class in terms of similar buildings globally.
Tracey Wall, director of nursing with Children’s Health Ireland, spoke at length about how the hospital has been constructed “around the experience of the child”.
It is to represent “a safe place, a place of fun”, she said.
Each of the hospital’s more than 470 beds will be equipped with an ‘edutainment centre’, while full sleeping facilities for parents will be incorporated into each room. Parents will also be able to use their child’s bathroom facilities.
The hospital will incorporate 60 intensive-care beds, almost double the 32 currently available in Dublin, and 22 operating theatres versus the 15 currently available at the three existing children’s hospitals in the city.
There will also be 14 outdoor areas and garden, varying in size from the Rainbow Garden — a roof garden at the centre of the hospital that is the length of Croke Park — to smaller areas such as the internal courtyards which provide areas for play and respite for patients and families attending the outpatient department, and ‘floating gardens’ and terraces located on levels 3 and 4 of the hospital.
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