Tipperary TD Alan Kelly is calling for immediate accountability from the Minister for Health following the revelation that the new National Children’s Hospital (NCH) will not admit patients until the end of 2025 at the earliest, despite previously being due for “substantial completion” this October.
The Nenagh based TD describes the project as a national disgrace. Deputy Kelly is highly critical that over 23,000 design changes have been made since the Guaranteed Maximum Price was set. Deputy Kelly is accusing the Health Minister of a hands off approach in respect of the project and failing to monitor the work of the Board overseeing the project. In 2013 the State sold the National Lottery to raise funds to commence work on the hospital which in 2015 was forecast to cost €615M.
The total capital and current budget sanction is €2.24 billion, – Deputy Kelly says taxpayers are the ones bearing the brunt of what he calls “mismanagement that is absolutely unacceptable.”
