Vivienne Clarke
The "blame game" over the new national children's hospital has to stop, Sinn Féin’s health spokesperson has urged.
David Cullinane said the building contractor BAM has to be held to account and all parties involved in the project have to "step up to the plate" so the new hospital can be completed and the first patients treated.
BAM has informed the project's board that the substantial completion date for the €2.2 billion hospital is now June 2025.
This is 31 months behind the current contractual completion date of November 2022 and four months later than a date provided to the Public Accounts Committee (Pac) last May.
Speaking on RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland, Mr Cullinane called on the Taoiseach and Minister for Health to do more than write letters, but to “pull up their sleeves” to ensure the speedy completion of the hospital.
"This is all down to a flawed contract," he said.
"The [National Paediatric Hospital Development Board] is blaming the contractor. The contractor is blaming the board and the Government is washing its hands of any responsibility and are acting as commentators.
"And we have to remind ourselves here that this is all down to a flawed contract that was signed off on by Simon Harris when he was minister for health. It was a ‘build as you go’ contract that was stacked against the taxpayer and has been an absolute disaster."
Mr Cullinane said he was calling on the board to "step up to the plate", but equally the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health had to stop "being commentators".
"They have to roll up their sleeves. They have to use all of the levers which are available, as flawed as it is because of the contract.
"But they also have to hold regular meetings with the board to ensure that all of the targets which are being set by the contractor are being met. Because what the board are telling us is that the contractor are not deploying the feet on the ground and resources.
"The Government has to hold all of these people to account."
His comments come ahead of the latest delays to the project being scrutinised in the Oireachtas on Wednesday.
The Oireachtas Health Committee will hear claims the main contractor on the project – BAM Construction – has shown complete disregard for sick children, young people and their families.
Politicians are also due to be told that not a single room in the new national children’s hospital has been fully completed in line with required standards.
The chief executive of the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board will also outline how BAM has moved its completion date 14 times in the past four years.
