Irish Examiner view: National Children's Hospital saga is a neverending story

On Wednesday we discovered that the vital infrastructure will miss its 18th completion deadline on April 30

Controversial is an inadequate description of the long-running National Children's Hospital saga. File picture: Stephen Collins/Collins

Yesterday morning, it seemed that the most likely headline from the looming Oireachtas health committee meeting was a potential €40m charge for developers BAM because of delays with the new National Children’s Hospital.

However, this was soon overtaken by news that BAM will not meet the completion date of April 30 for the hospital, as revealed by National Paediatric Hospital Development Board David Gunning to the committee. 

A new date is to be provided within 15 days.

Controversial is an inadequate description of this long-running saga. April 30 marks the 18th different completion date, for instance, announced for the project. Building began a decade ago and yet there is still no clarity about when that will end: Health committee chair and Social Democrats TD Pádraig Rice said yesterday that this latest development means the hospital might not open until next spring, summer, or even autumn 2027.

It should be acknowledged that BAM insists it has not missed completion dates: The company claims that design changes mean the project has evolved, with new completion dates reflecting those changes and evolution.

Readers can make up their own minds about BAM’s defence of its position, but a series of promises and commitments has been made on the opening of this facility over the years which have not been kept.

The cost has spiralled well over the €2bn mark and there must be serious concerns that even that price tag is not the final figure the taxpayer will be saddled with.

The casual approach to spending tax revenues is not confined to this sector, or even this particular project, but this must be one of the most glaring examples of runaway costs ever seen in this country. That is surely one of the key takeaways from this debacle — the way costs have risen and risen as this project meanders past completion dates, swallowing up vast amounts of revenue which could be used elsewhere.

As we cannot say when the hospital will be opened, the best we can currently hope for is that some lessons about oversight and expenditure have been absorbed from this experience.

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Tobacco and vape lobbying

The world of lobbying is one that is veiled for most of us — we have an abstract sense that various industries and sectors like to have their interests represented, but what that means in a concrete sense can be difficult to pin down.

All of which makes Niamh Griffin’s reporting this week on that topic all the more valuable. She wrote about the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland, Health Service Executive (HSE), and University College Cork analysing 511 entries relating to tobacco or vaping from 39 lobbyists between 2016 and 2024.

Their research showed health groups had 2.9 times fewer submissions on Ireland’s lobbying register than tobacco and vaping industries, consulting firms, and retailers.

The time, energy, and resources put into lobbying politicians on smoking and vaping is enormous — and ominous. Paul Kavanagh of the HSE Tobacco Free Ireland programme and the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland said it was “worrying and it’s chilling to see these transparent efforts by the industry to try and get traction on policy here in Ireland”.

Prof Kavanagh is to be commended for spelling out what this lobbying means in reality. It is an attempt to change public policy to increase profits at the expense of public health.

There is nothing illegal in representing one’s interests. That is what organisations such as Vape Business Ireland, the national trade association for vaping retailers, are for, though it is interesting that organisation is now called Responsible Vaping Ireland.

However, the health and environmental damage done by cigarettes and vapes is undeniable, and any efforts to loosen legislative restrictions on their use must be resisted strongly.

The lobbying was described by Mark Murphy of the Irish Heart Foundation as “shocking”. He added that the research should be required reading for all TDs and senators. Of course, if they are being lobbied as energetically as it seems, they are probably well aware of what the vaping and smoking sector are up to already.

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World Cup qualifier

Tonight the Republic of Ireland take on Czechia (7.45pm Irish time) in a World Cup play-off game as they bid to make it to the tournament later this year.

Concerns about going to the tournament in North America, given the turbulent political situation in almost every part of that continent, would be a welcome headache.

Addressing such concerns would mean that Ireland had secured a spot on the big stage.

Thousands of loyal supporters are already on the road with the team, of course, having journeyed to Prague; no doubt they have enjoyed themselves since landing the Czech capital.

Before World Cup journeys can be planned, however, tonight needs to go well for Heimir Hallgrimsson’s side.

Ireland are only in this position because of Troy Parrott’s dramatic late winner against Hungary. The AZ Alkmaar striker hit three goals in that game, but that sensational finish in injury time is the one that will live long in the memory.

Win, lose, or draw this evening, Parrott has done the country a considerable service. At a time of rising costs, widespread global conflict, and heightened tensions everywhere, we have had the glorious distraction of a play-off game to lean on, which has been a considerable benefit in very tense times.

Here’s to another smash-and-grab raid this evening.