Results 1-20 of 1,051,760 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Jennifer Carroll MacNeill OR speaker:Mick Barry OR speaker:Chris Andrews OR speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire OR speaker:Seán Ó Fearghaíl OR speaker:Seán Crowe OR speaker:Michael Creed OR speaker:Seán Ó Fearghaíl4 OR speaker:Peadar Tóibín OR speaker:Gino Kenny) in 'Committee meetings'

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Business of Joint Committee (9 Oct 2024)

Seán Crowe: Apologies have been received from Senators Black and Hoey. The minutes of the committee's meetings of 24 and 25 September and 2 October have been circulated to members for consideration. Are they agreed? Agreed.

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

Seán Crowe: The purpose of today's meeting is to consider issues relating to the development of the proposed national children's hospital with the Minister for Health. This follows the committee's recent meeting with representatives of the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board. I am pleased to welcome the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly. The Minister is accompanied by Mr. Derek...

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

Seán Crowe: Minister, you have about a minute and a half to respond.

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

Seán Crowe: The Deputy should hold on and wait his turn.

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

Seán Crowe: The Deputy has made that point.

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

Seán Crowe: Hold on. We are five minutes over time. I will go to Deputy Shortall.

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

Gino Kenny: Was the meeting with Royal BAM the first in-person meeting involving the board and the Minister with the higher echelons of the company in the lifetime of this project?

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

Gino Kenny: Had other members of the board ever met the chief executive of Royal BAM?

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

Gino Kenny: At that meeting, was Royal BAM in any way contrite about the ongoing issues? Did it say that mistakes were made with the logistics of this project?

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

Gino Kenny: Did Royal BAM give any commitment about the contribution from its side to the extra costs of this project from where it was initially a number of years ago to where it is now? The people who have to pay it are the taxpayers of this country.

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

Gino Kenny: Does Royal BAM accept that it is an extraordinary amount from where this project started to where it is at the moment? It is multiples of what the cost was going to be five or six years ago to where it is now. Does it accept that this is an extraordinary amount that the State has to pay, for what is an impressive structure, by the way?

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

Gino Kenny: How confident is the Minister that it will be completed by June of next year? How confident was he before the meeting and what is his analysis afterwards?

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

Gino Kenny: What did BAM say at that meeting that gives the Minister more confidence that it will complete this project by June 2025? The board was before the Joint Committee on Health a number of weeks ago and it was aghast and extremely frustrated about where the project was going. Considering that critique, this project might take much longer than to June 2025. What commitment did BAM give about...

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

Gino Kenny: Why is that?

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

Gino Kenny: Has BAM said to the board it would commit to that work engagement, in terms of workers on site, etc? It was obvious from the board's critique that there are just not enough workers from BAM on site. None of the rooms have been signed over, which is not a great sign in terms of a structure like that.

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

Gino Kenny: Again, getting back to the commitments, what exact commitments did BAM give? It is an enormous and very profitable company. What did it say in terms of doing X, Y and Z to get the job finished by June 2025? What did it say to the Minister and board regarding what it is going to do?

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

Gino Kenny: On a more positive note, when will the hospital be open to children? When will the first child go into the national children's hospital when it is complete? Is there a particular date if that deadline in June 2025 were to be met? Is there a possible timeframe in terms of when children will be cared for in what will be this amazing, though expensive, structure when it is finished?

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

Gino Kenny: Realistically, then, it will probably be 2026 when we will-----

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

Gino Kenny: It is realistic if things work to plan-----

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

Gino Kenny: We all want to see the hospital open as soon as possible. Given the history of this build, though, logistically, we are probably looking at 2026 as the date when children will be there.