Government cannot say what final cost of National Children's Hospital will be

Costs have spiralled to at least €1.7bn, with the final cost of the landmark project still unclear

The National Children's Hospital in Rialto, Dublin. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

The Government cannot say how much the new National Children's Hospital will cost or when it will be completed.

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has defended the project, which has spiralled to at least €1.7bn, saying it is his "firm view that when this project is complete, few people will think it was a bad investment".