Taoiseach insists Cork, Limerick health projects will not be cancelled over children's hospital overrun

HSE acknowledged lack of clarity over costs of new hospital could impact on health construction plans for rest of the country

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Dáil that the hospital is costing much 'more than' was projected, but it is also taking a lot longer than was expected. 

The Taoiseach has given an "absolute assurance" that health projects in Cork, Limerick, and Wexford will not be delayed as a result of overspending on the national children's hospital.

It comes after the HSE acknowledged that the lack of clarity over the costs of the new hospital could impact on health construction plans for the rest of the country.

Leo Varadkar told the Dáil that the hospital is costing much "more than" was projected, but it is also taking a lot longer than was expected. 

He said this means that the amount of money being spent each year is "largely in profile" and "for that reason it will not impact other capital projects".

Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín said as minister for health, Mr Varadkar had claimed that short of an asteroid hitting the planet, the national children's hospital would be built for €700m by 2020. 

But Mr Tóibín said it is now at double that cost and could end up at €2bn adding that its doors may not open until 2025.

He said the spending on the hospital is now "swallowing up vast capital expenditure that should be going into other projects, such as primary care centres, critical care beds in Cork, a major trauma centre in Cork, a radiation oncology unit in Limerick, the restoration of Wexford Hospital, and the long-awaited national maternity hospital".

Responding, Mr Varadkar said: "I can give Deputy Tóibín the absolute assurance that they will not be deleted or delayed."

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said "no one" knows what the final cost of the national children's hospital will be.

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Mr Donnelly refused to even provide an estimated figure for the new facility which has been dogged by delays and spiraling costs as he said this could prejudice negotiations with developers BAM.

However, calling on the Government to provide clarity around the cost of the hospital, Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald said the massive overspend means that other desperately-needed healthcare buildings are being put in jeopardy.

"At least a third of the capital budget for this year alone will be spent on the new children's hospital, yet we still do not know what the full cost of that will be. 

"This puts desperately needed health infrastructure  — additional hospitals, community beds and services — in jeopardy," Ms McDonald said.

Mr Donnelly insisted that the contractors would "like nothing more than the State to say we believe we will have to pay X amount of money, because doing so would prejudice the negotiations".

Adding that "intensive" negotiations are currently under way, he said the Government must ensure that the National Pediatric Hospital Development Board is in the "strongest possible position" to agree on costs and argue claims on behalf of the State.