Results 481-500 of 1,095,848 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Joe O'Brien OR speaker:Dara Calleary OR speaker:Stephen Donnelly OR speaker:Joe Flaherty OR speaker:Seán Fleming OR speaker:Alan Kelly OR speaker:Chris Andrews OR speaker:Peter Fitzpatrick OR speaker:John McGuinness OR speaker:Chris Andrews8) in 'Committee meetings'

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

Stephen Donnelly: On the BAM side, there was the global chief executive, its UK and Ireland chief executive or general manager, whatever the title is, and its chief operating officer. On our side, it was Ms Ross, me, Robert Watt, my Secretary General, Derek Tierney, who is the assistant secretary over this, Bernard Gloster, chief executive of the HSE, and my special adviser, Susan Mitchell.

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

Stephen Donnelly: It was my first meeting with the chief executive of Royal BAM.

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

Stephen Donnelly: I do not want to characterise Royal BAM. It is for its representatives to say how they felt at the meeting. I can say that it was a very open conversation. The frustrations on both sides were aired. We need to wait and see but there is the possibility that it will have been a productive meeting. Given that deadlines have come and gone, we would all be naive to walk away and think that it...

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

Stephen Donnelly: Regarding the costs, I made the point on behalf of the Irish people that the Irish Government agreed to an amount earlier this year and that is the amount on the table, which we do not intend to add to. It has been made clear that the budget has been set. It is in everybody's interests, including obviously the children of Ireland but also the contractor, for the contractor to accelerate its...

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

Stephen Donnelly: I would prefer not to try to characterise BAM because it would be fully entitled to come back and say that is a matter for the company. I apologise for repeating myself. The full gamut of issues was discussed in a frank and open way.

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

Stephen Donnelly: For me, the purpose of the meeting was because I did not have confidence in the June date and the board, acting on all our behalf, certainly did not have confidence in the June date. That was the genesis of the meeting. From my perspective, one of the core points of the meeting was to say this is BAM's fourteenth deadline, that we cannot possibly have confidence, and the board most...

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

Stephen Donnelly: I will reserve judgment on that until Ms Ross, Mr. David Gunning and the team-----

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

Stephen Donnelly: Because we need to see the change. It is all well and good for me and the global chief executive to meet and commit to an improved approach to this, but I want to see the change. Ms Ross and I will be staying in regular contact. I want to see the change. I want to see a programme of work in which David Gunning, Fiona Ross and all the board, acting on our behalf, will be able to say that...

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

Stephen Donnelly: Yes, that is exactly it. It has been a very open point of dispute between the board and the contractor on an ongoing basis.

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

Stephen Donnelly: I think three things are relevant to children being treated in this hospital. First, there was commitment to the commissioning teams going in early. That is something that had not been agreed and can accelerate the opening of this hospital, potentially by several months. That is important. I acknowledge that BAM has said it will facilitate this and make it happen. That had not been...

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

Stephen Donnelly: It is an extraordinary facility. I believe we need to keep a very clear focus on next year. If Royal BAM and BAM UK and Ireland can hand us the keys in June 2025, we have been consistently told by CHI that there is a minimum six-month commissioning phase. We are looking to accelerate some of that process. As the Deputy will appreciate, nobody can give a precise deadline, but I think we...

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

Stephen Donnelly: I do not think we should be going there. I think we need to keep the focus very much on 2025.

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

Stephen Donnelly: Well, they are telling us-----

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

Stephen Donnelly: I appreciate where the Deputy is coming from-----

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

Stephen Donnelly: -----but it is very important that we do not start talking about 2026. It is extremely important that we keep talking about 2025. Armies of people are on site and involved in commissioning to that effect. Just before I ask Mr. Lynch to come in on this, I wish to acknowledge the workers on site.

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

Stephen Donnelly: Even though the project may be resourced at what we believe is half what it should be, nonetheless, a large number of very dedicated people are working day and night to build what looks like will be the finest children's hospital in the world. What an extraordinary thing that is for a little country like us to be saying. Those workers have been building the hospital in the context of huge...

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

Stephen Donnelly: -----and it is not their fault. I thank the Chair for his latitude on the time, so I acknowledge the women and men working on that site day in and day out, in winter and summer and in rain, hail, sleet and snow. I thank them for the work they are doing. They have been building this incredible facility for our nation and they have been doing it in a context where all they hear about,...

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

Stephen Donnelly: They really have been working very hard. It is not the fault of anyone on site-----

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

Stephen Donnelly: -----that the resourcing has not been where we want it to be. I acknowledge that fact. If the Chair is happy, I ask Mr. Lynch to come in on the issue of the commissioning and to provide some detail in this regard.