Results 61-80 of 1,061,498 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Michael McGrath OR speaker:Carol Nolan OR speaker:Seán Canney OR speaker:Niall Collins OR speaker:Willie O'Dea OR speaker:Claire Kerrane OR speaker:Stephen Donnelly OR speaker:Martin Browne OR speaker:Brendan Howlin OR speaker:Colm Brophy OR speaker:Jennifer Murnane O'Connor OR speaker:Pippa Hackett)

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.

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

Stephen Donnelly: I thank Senator Conway for that. I will ask Mr. Lynch to come in with some of the detail but at a high level-----

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

Stephen Donnelly: Okay, I will give the Senator the high level detail and then I might come back to Mr. Lynch regarding the likely time saved. There is an area in the hospital which they call the hot block. This is the laboratories, emergency department, theatres and intensive care floor. For obvious reasons, this is where an awful lot of the time has to be spent. The clear view is that it is on the...

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

Stephen Donnelly: It is not possible to say if it will be Friday, Friday week or Friday fortnight.

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

Stephen Donnelly: I want to give BAM Ireland and UK, Royal BAM Group and the board the space they need to come back with a proposal that everybody can stand over. It would not be helpful at this point to say that it will be Friday week or Friday fortnight or to give a specific date.

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

Stephen Donnelly: I do not believe we have a couple of months.

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

Stephen Donnelly: This has to be done urgently.

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

Stephen Donnelly: If I could be so bold, and apologies if I am overstepping here, it is not helpful for Members of the Oireachtas to state that we will be paying the contractor more money than the Government has already stated. It does not help the taxpayer for Members of the Oireachtas to essentially throw more money on the table.

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

Stephen Donnelly: Apologies, Senator, but-----

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

Stephen Donnelly: All of the structural design and the things that really cost the large sums of money are done. We are in a snagging phase right now.

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

Stephen Donnelly: It is something that would be reviewed by the design team and by the board. In 2019 when it became clear that this was going to cost considerably more than had been communicated, there was a lot of activity at that time. Certainly, by the time this Government was formed, the core structural design was settled.

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

Stephen Donnelly: The Senator will appreciate that the reference made was in the context of a massive increase in the communicated cost.

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

Stephen Donnelly: It has not continued. The amount of money the Government authorised earlier this year was linked to the 2019 agreement so the cost overruns did not continue in the lifetime of this Government. I am afraid the €2.2 billion was referring back to the 2019 agreement. Let me answer the Senator very directly. I have full confidence in the board acting on our behalf. I believe Ms Fiona...

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

Stephen Donnelly: That is a matter for the committee. It is not for me to say.

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

Stephen Donnelly: In response to the Deputy's first point, are there lessons we can and have learned? Most definitely. Mr. Tierney is the lead in the Department of Health on the National Maternity Hospital and on the elective hospitals and there was a comprehensive piece of work done which Fiona Ross fed into as well. It has to be remembered we are commencing five other hospitals-----

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

Stephen Donnelly: Lessons have most definitely been learned. Regarding the criteria for June, I will give my understanding of it. I fully accept BAM may agree or disagree with that. Where I believe we got to was that it was willing to stand over the June deadline with a proviso that there were not design changes that would reasonably delay the project. You might have very minor design changes. In fact,...

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

Stephen Donnelly: Yes. We would have to accept that. Where I believe we have got to is that there would be no substantive design changes. Obviously, I cannot speak for BAM. It may have a different view but certainly that is my clear understanding.