Results 101-120 of 1,080,807 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (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:Éamon Ó Cuív5 OR speaker:Cathal Crowe OR speaker:Bernard Durkan OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív19)

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

Stephen Donnelly: I do not know if there was any such suggestion. There may well have been. Minutes were taken at the meeting. I do not recall it. I can say that there was a very high level of frustration when I met the board. Ms Ross is the chair of the board. We might ask her for the board's view, if that is okay.

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

Stephen Donnelly: I cannot say what BAM's motivation is but the facts, as I see them, are we have very clear evidence, I believe, from the board, based on gate receipts, noting day by day, how many people are on site. We have very clear evidence, which BAM may dispute, but the evidence as I have seen it is very strong that the hospital project has been consistently and substantively under resourced. That is...

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

Stephen Donnelly: Does the Senator mean nationally across all of its projects?

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

Stephen Donnelly: I do not but I think Ms Ross has that detail.

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

Stephen Donnelly: It is not the case that 3,000 rooms were handed over and then the quality assurance people took a look. They are on-site all the time. The board and the quality assurance people would have raised concerns early and on an ongoing basis. I think the Senator's point is that it went too far before anyone flagged any concerns. My understanding is that those concerns were flagged early but even...

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

Bernard Durkan: We should recognise that all my questions are questions. The Chairman knows that. I usually finish on time as well, which often does not apply to everybody.

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

Bernard Durkan: Can we start again? We are coming to the most intricate stages of the contract. It is important that everybody, the client and the builder concentrate on that. The smallest of things can cause an alarm and can lead to bigger things. Then, bigger things can go unnoticed. I have had occasion in the past to look at a number of contracts. I was surprised at some of the things that had gone...

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

Stephen Donnelly: My very clear understanding is that the answer is "Yes". I will ask Ms Ross to speak to the matter as well.

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

Bernard Durkan: That is good. In recent times, this committee has asked particular questions and the contractor has stated that there have been changes to the contract. We know that there have to be some changes. There will always be changes to a contract. Some are instigated by the client and others by the contractor. Is the Minister satisfied that sufficient provision has been made? Is he also...

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

Bernard Durkan: That is understood. I presume the changes are due to changes in regulatory compliance that have arisen since the contract was originally signed.

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

Bernard Durkan: Is it recognised on both sides that this is a requirement that has to be dealt with.

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

Bernard Durkan: We are aware from previous discussions that some of these matters remain unresolved and may have to be dealt with after the hospital is in operation.

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

Bernard Durkan: I happened to have been on the hospital site in a private capacity on numerous occasions in the past 12 months. I learned an awful lot. One can learn from a site inspection. Mine was not an official site inspection, I might add. I was there, and I must say it is a complicated project. Any complicated project will require the minutiae to be dealt with as part of the overall project. ...

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

Bernard Durkan: I know. Presumably, part of the car park is in the concourse adjacent to the hospital.

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

Bernard Durkan: Adjacent to the main entrance to the hospital there is a concourse where one can come up from the car park and go into the hospital. That is part of the hospital's effective design in order that patients, consultants or nursing staff can get to where they are supposed to be in the shortest possible time without going having to ask for directions, etc.

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

Bernard Durkan: I thank the witnesses.

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

Stephen Donnelly: That is right.

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

Stephen Donnelly: The award for €107 million or €108 million is contested very strongly by the board.

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

Stephen Donnelly: It was the recommendation.

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

Stephen Donnelly: The Deputy asks if there an amount included against full and final awards. There is. In addition, in the context of the Government decision, there is freedom - or whatever the right word is - such that the board is authorised to reach a full and final agreement.