BAM refusing to provide adequate staffing levels at NCH site, committee hears
Hospital board has accused developer BAM of delaying the project as claims are contested. Picture: Leah Farrell/ RollingNews.ie
The head of the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board has said he cannot make assurances the new National Children's Hospital will be completed by June 2025.
Chief officer David Gunning told TDs and senators the board was not receiving the “BAM A game” on the project, while declining to set out if the hospital developers would meet their latest completion timeline.
Officials from the hospital board are appearing before the Oireachtas health committee on Wednesday to outline the current progress on the hospital, just days after it became clear it is unlikely to open to patients before 2026.
The long-delayed project is now expected to cost the State €2.2bn, with Mr Gunning insisting the price would not be inflated further and the board was unwilling to give developers BAM any further funds.
Mr Gunning told Fine Gael senator Martin Conway he believed the cost of the project would not increase further due to the hospital being at 94% completion.
The chief officer criticised BAM over the further delays, saying as claims are contested, the builder is delaying the project.
“That’s a very hard thing to say, but that’s how I feel that things are being managed.”
Under questioning by Social Democrat TD Róisín Shortall, Mr Gunning said the value of outstanding claims by BAM is about €750m, from a total of 2,161 claims.
However, he said 18 claims made up 80% of this €750m figure.
On the completion of rooms, which has been a source of dispute between BAM and the hospital board, project director Phelim Devine said his team had inspected 500 rooms of the over 3,000 the builder had offered as completed.
Mr Devine said of the rooms inspected, the team had found an average of between 13 and 15 defects per room. He said these range from incomplete works in the ceiling, to issues with duct works, as well as fire sealing on doors.
He said while no rooms have been signed off on, the design team was “getting to the point” of signing off on rooms.
However, to meet the June 2025 deadline, there would need to be hundreds of rooms offered up each week by the developer, Mr Devine said.
Asked by Fianna Fáil’s John Lahart if past performance should be considered when procuring future projects, Mr Gunning said that there is merit in the suggestion.
“I think it’s accepted in the private sector that your performance is your dance ticket, it’s your opening card for the next [project],” Mr Gunning said.
On the commissioning element of the hospital, officials set out that the current progress is at 40%, but that it should be at between 60% or 70% at present.
Throughout the meeting, Mr Gunning repeatedly said BAM is refusing to provide adequate staffing levels at the NCH site, saying that the builders are only staffing 60% of what is required.
Sinn Féin’s David Cullinane questioned Mr Gunning on whether or not the board had considered entering into a settlement agreement with BAM to resolve the ongoing claims issue.
Mr Gunning said that the board had “considerable engagement” on alternative dispute resolution, but that no agreement was reached.
Speaking at the end of the meeting, Health Committee chair Seán Crowe confirmed that Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has been invited to appear in the near future.
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