Health minister slams ongoing delays to children’s hospital: ‘It makes absolutely no sense’

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill says the long-delayed children’s hospital is 'very nearly finished' but warns she cannot accept an unfinished building

The new Children's Hospital.

Health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said it makes “absolutely no sense” why building work on the new National Children’s Hospital remains unfinished.

High-level “problem solvers” from construction company BAM’s international offices have now been deployed to Ireland to assist with the project as the hospital faces further delays.

The hospital was due to be made available to Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) on Wednesday for early access so the commissioning process could begin.

However, the date has now passed, and BAM has not provided access or confirmed a new date.

It is the 16th such delay, with early access initially expected in September, then November, and later December.

Speaking at the National Rehabilitation Hospital conference in Dun Laoghaire, Ms Carroll MacNeill said she would like to have access to the hospital before Christmas, but admitted this depends on the contractors.

“At the end of the day, I cannot go in and take a hospital that isn't finished,” she said.

“I cannot go in and take a hospital and say, ‘CHI, you should move your equipment into this hospital that still has building equipment in it, and that hasn't been finished’.

“That would not be the right thing for me to do. BAM has offered us different parts of the hospital that make no sense; Three rooms up here, or 10 rooms in there.

“Offering access in a way that doesn't actually help or deliver.” 

She continued: “This is a building site that is very nearly finished, that has been very nearly finished for some time.

“It makes absolutely no sense to me why it hasn't just been finished on time, and in a way that a hospital group can clean it and move in.

“They're very, very sensitive and new equipment. I think it would be a ridiculous situation for me to be answering questions where we're moving new hospital equipment into a building site. That wouldn't be tenable either.” 

Health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said she would like to have access to the hospital before Christmas, but admitted this depends on the contractors.

Ms Carroll MacNeill said BAM has not provided an updated substantial completion date and that she is “subject to the people who hold the keys and who are finishing the project”.

She added that she “very much hopes” the hospital will start accepting children next year, but that depends on all equipment being moved in.

Work continues to reduce the commissioning period where possible, but the Fine Gael TD admitted some specialised equipment needs to be calibrated onsite and there are clear constraints.

BAM International has now brought “problem solvers” and “their ultimate fixers” to Ireland to work on the project in a move the health minister said is “well overdue”.

She said that while this is delivering results, BAM needs to confirm when the hospital will be ready for handover.

Meanwhile, Ms Carroll MacNeill said she is optimistic that a post-Christmas trolley crisis will be avoided despite an earlier and more severe flu season.

It is predicted that up to 1,500 people may end up in hospital with flu in the coming weeks, with 530 people already hospitalised on Friday.

She said the trolley situation is “reasonably good”, and she “seriously hopes it's not going to be as difficult as last year”.