Children's Hospital development board chief has €23k Harvard tuition fees paid by the State

David Gunning received a corporate director certificate from Harvard Business School in 2022 and also gained a diploma in corporate governance from Glasgow Caledonian University the previous year, both of which were paid for by the taxpayer. Photo: Sam Boal/Collins Photo

The State has paid more than €23,000 in Harvard tuition fees for the chief officer of the National Children's Hospital development board.

David Gunning received a corporate director certificate from Harvard Business School in 2022 and also gained a diploma in corporate governance from Glasgow Caledonian University the previous year, both of which were paid for by the taxpayer.

The total fees for both courses amounted to €25,557, with the Harvard fees costing €23,307. This figure does not include travel and subsistence allowances for attending the renowned American university.

Mr Gunning was appointed to the newly created role of chief officer of National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) in 2019, when the cost of the project stood at €1.7bn. Since then, the development has been dogged by delays and controversy, with the total cost now at more than €2.2bn.

Fees

The NPHDB spent a total of €67,000 on training in 2022, the year Mr Gunning received his Harvard qualification, which the university states is "designed to enhance your board leadership skills".

According to the financial statements, €4,000 was spent on travel and subsistence for staff and board members in 2021. In 2022, the year Mr Gunning received the Harvard cert, travel and subsistence costs rose to €15,000.

The board would not state how much of the total figure related to expenses claimed by Mr Gunning.

"Those figures include travel and subsistence claimed by a number of National Paediatric Hospital Development Board employees and board members," a spokesperson stated.

When further clarity was sought, the board stated that it would not be giving more details.

"The NPHDB is committed to the ongoing continuous professional development and upskilling of its staff as set out in Better Public Services Transformation Strategy," a spokesperson said.

"In the case of the Chief Officer, all training and professional development support receives prior approval by the board."

National Children's Hospital

Last month, Mr Gunning told politicians that he cannot make assurances the new National Children's Hospital will be completed by June 2025.

He told the Oireachtas Health Committee that the board was not receiving the “A game” from the developers, BAM, a claim that the contractor has strenuously denied.

The newly appointed chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Mairead Farrell has now called on the National Children's Hospital board members to urgently come before it to answer outstanding questions about the project.

Ms Farrell said: “The overspend and ongoing delays in the National Children’s Hospital is hugely alarming. It is vital that there is transparency, accountability and oversight of what has happened in this case."