The new National Children’s Hospital in Dublin will not begin admitting patients until at least June next year, the Public Accounts Committee of the Dáil has been told, reports RTE.
“There is a nine-month commissioning period, so the best optimum date would be the end of June 2026,” said Lucy Nugent, Chief Executive of Children’s Health Ireland (CHI).
“Nobody wants to be in this building more than the patients and the staff,” she added, reports RTE.
David Gunning, Chief Officer of the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB), also spoke at the hearing, saying the hospital will not open before the end of September 2025.
“The new date is the 30th of September 2025,” Mr Gunning stated, reports RTE.
This marks the 15th time the project has missed a final deadline since 2020.
Mr Gunning said the updated timeline was provided to him just the night before by the contractor, BAM. He said it was too soon to say whether he trusted the new date.
“This further delay is a cause of great frustration,” he added, reports RTE.
He also noted that he lacks confidence in BAM, given the repeated delays.
While BAM blames the setbacks on design changes, Mr Gunning said he disagrees with this explanation.
He estimated each month of delay is costing €2 million, reports RTE.
Project Director Phelim Devine stated that BAM had not committed its full resources to the project.
Fianna Fáil TD Seamus McGrath suggested the final cost would be “€2.2bn to €2.3bn,” which the witnesses acknowledged, reports RTE.
Mr Gunning said no “blank cheques” had been issued to BAM and that the original budget of €1.433 billion didn’t account for certain factors.
“I don’t think people anticipated Brexit and war in Ukraine and the level of construction inflation that we have experienced,” he said, reports RTE.
He also pointed out that the contractor continues to submit a high number of claims.
A total of 3,277 claims, valued at €856 million, have been lodged. Of those, the board has accepted €50.5 million in “determined claims,” reports RTE.
Currently, 2,200 claims are in dispute, and Mr Gunning said the board is “fighting every one of those.”
He also confirmed that five legal proceedings are already before the High Court, with more likely to come, reports RTE.
While BAM has succeeded in some conciliation rulings, Mr Gunning noted that “a high bar” exists in the High Court and said he is confident in the board’s legal stance.
Seamus McCarthy, the Comptroller and Auditor General, said BAM had received €122 million after a conciliation ruling in its favour over a “critical delay” issue. That ruling is now being challenged in the High Court, and BAM may have to repay the funds if the challenge succeeds, reports RTE.
Back in February, Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said she expected the total project cost to reach around €2.24 billion, including commissioning, and that the hospital would open in 2026.
Mr Gunning told the committee that the board understands the concerns surrounding the delays.
“I want to assure you that the NPHDB is working with our colleagues in CHI, the Department of Health, the HSE, and the contractor BAM to bring this world-class hospital to substantial completion as soon as possible,” he said, reports RTE.
“We understand and share the concern that it has not been completed. Once completed and operational, this hospital will be transformational,” reports RTE.
“This is a significant investment on behalf of the State, and its impact will be far-reaching,” Mr Gunning concluded, reports RTE.
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