Ministers have further questions to answer on Children’s Hospital

Issued : Wednesday 6 February, 2019

Labour Party Health spokesperson, Alan Kelly TD, has said further answers are needed from Simon Harris and Paschal Donohoe on the mismanagement of the National Children’s Hospital overspend.

Deputy Kelly:

 “Following my questions at today’s Health Committee, it is astounding that no formal meetings took place between Department of Health and the Department of Public Expenditure on the National Children’s Hospital overspend when it was first brought to the Minister for Health’s attention between August 2018 and November 2018.

“It is clear that we have a Government putting up Chinese walls rather than working together. How can there not have been a cross-departmental awareness between the two line departments on one of the biggest capital projects the State is currently undertaking.

“The cost overrun was first brought to the attention of the board that carried out financial oversight in August 2017, of which the Government’s Chief Procurement Officer was a member. It is completely bogus for the Taoiseach and others to suggest that he was under no obligation to inform somebody in Government of the overrun.

“There are still so many questions that remain unanswered in all of this as so many timelines don’t stack up. I’ll be calling on Ministers Harris and Donohoe to provide answers to the questions that myself and many other deputies have, whether that be at an Oireachtas Committee or on the floor of the Dáil.”