Time should be set aside in the Dáil next week so the Minister for Health can provide an urgent update on the latest delay to the National Children’s Hospital, according to Social Democrats TD Pádraig Rice.
Deputy Rice, who is the party’s spokesperson on health, said:
“This project is not just one the most significant capital investments in the history of the State – it is also the most shambolic.
“At today’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting, the chief executive of the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) confirmed that the latest deadline for the completion of the hospital has been missed. This is the 15th time since 2020 that the project has missed its final deadline.
“Now that the June deadline will not be met, the Minister must outline to the Dáil if she has confidence the new completion target of September will be achieved. Given previous slippage by contractors BAM, it is becoming increasingly difficult to see a situation where the new hospital will be in a position to start treating young patients in 2026.
“When the St James’s site was chosen, the estimated completion date for this hospital was 2020. However, five years on, costs have spiralled to at least €2.24 billion and deadlines have become little more than moving targets.
“The National Children’s Hospital must be one of the most botched projects ever undertaken in this country. Despite this, we have yet to see any political accountability.”
May 22, 2025