Results 21-40 of 1,074,518 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Damien English OR speaker:Jim O'Callaghan OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív OR speaker:Joe Flaherty OR speaker:Patricia Ryan OR speaker:Michael McGrath OR speaker:Darren O'Rourke OR speaker:Jackie Cahill OR speaker:Stephen Donnelly OR speaker:Dessie Ellis OR speaker:Steven Matthews) in 'Committee meetings'

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: The upshot of the meeting was that Royal BAM Group said it would stand over the June deadline. It has agreed to have intensive engagement with its UK and Ireland operation and with Ms Ross, Mr. Gunning and the rest of the board so that there is a project, for which the board and the independent assessor can say they have confidence the deadline can be met. Second, we have also agreed to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: It was certainly raised at the meeting.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I do not want to characterise its responses, but the Deputy will appreciate that it did not enter the meeting accepting that it was fully at fault for everything.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: It is and I stand over it. Obviously, it is something it would dispute.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I do not want to mischaracterise things. These matters were raised over the course of a long meeting. I will not put words in Royal BAM Group's mouth. I think it would be fair to say that I imagine if it were here, it would dispute it. I can be more helpful than that. It wrote a letter in response, in which it refuted that allegation.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I think it was BAM Ireland, but I would have to check.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: It has committed to the June deadline. There are several moving parts. As the Deputy mentioned, it includes the compliance work schedule. The board also believes there is a need for more senior management to be on site.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: The commitment was that Royal BAM Group would review the full proposal and come back with one it can stand over.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I think it is.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: In fairness-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: No, the meeting was not to begin to deconstruct the draft proposal. It was to discuss getting to deadlines and doing what is required to do so.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: We discussed all these issues.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: It said it would review its current proposal with the board, so it can stand over it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: We are getting them. The final cost, as referenced by Deputy Cullinane, is the amount that the Government stated, namely €2.2 billion. I was very clear with Royal BAM that the Government is not putting more money on the table. The public has the answer to one of those two questions. In answer to the second question, it is not reasonable to ask the board as to what day it will be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: It is not a question of whether it is sticking with the original cost. I made it very clear that the Government has allocated funding and that that is the end of it. Regarding the number of staff, we would categorically refute a position to the effect that we should pay the company more if it fully resources the site. We expect the site to be fully resourced. There will not be additional...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: The commitment is for the company to meet its June 2025 deadline and to engage intensively with the board on everything required to do that, which obviously includes the level of resourcing.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: It is a good example of the frustration involved. I included details of it in my letter to the Taoiseach. During what might have been my most recent appearance before the committee to discuss this matter, Deputy Doherty raised the issue. As I have stated previously, I believed he was acting in good faith. I do not believe he was trying to help the contractor out. At the time, I pointed...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: It was completed in a matter of weeks.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: National Children’s Hospital: Discussion (9 Oct 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: It cost less that 1% of the amount originally stated. It cost less than €200,000 and it took a few weeks to complete. It is worth saying that, mistakenly or not, BAM still issued an invoice to the State for the full €25 million. Perhaps this was an administrative error on the part of the company.