Sinn Féin TD John Brady said issue of dust in ventilation system is ‘very concerning’
It could be another two years before the National Children’s Hospital is complete due to the current pace of work on the building, the chair of the Dáil Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has warned.
Sinn Féin TD John Brady said he was extremely concerned over information provided to the PAC by the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) and Children’s Health Ireland (CHI).
Both organisations will address the committee tomorrow in a meeting taking place on what will be the eighteenth substantial deadline missed by developers BAM to complete the building.
In their opening statements supplied in advance to the committee, both NPHDB and CHI fail to set an updated deadline for completion.
They also highlight that just 55 per cent of the 5,728 rooms have been validated complete by the hospital’s design team, with 12,414 defects remaining, and a serious issue in relation to dust in the hospital’s ventilation system.
The statements also revealed that €1.6 billion has been spent so far on the building, while BAM’s current offer rate of rooms for validation to the design team is a four-week average of 117.
“At that rate, we’re looking at two years before we get near a completion date for the hospital to be handed over to CHI for full fit out,” Mr Brady said.
“And that’s not even taking into account work on the over 12,000 defects, and the other issues that are sure to arise.
“In addition, a very concerning issue has developed in relation to dust in the ventilation system. How has this been allowed to happen?
“This raises serious concerns about the impact on the clinical environment and impact on the 15 per cent of equipment that has already been installed.
“This saga cannot be allowed to continue in this way. The Minister’s out and out blame-BAM approach cannot continue. We need an updated completion date and the Minister to set out a clear path forward.”
Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has been critical of BAM for what she believes is an inadequate workforce on site to complete the hospital in a timely manner, something which the construction company denies.
In recent weeks the Minister has refused to announce a new expected deadline for when the hospital will be fully handed over the CHI for fit-out – a process that is expected to take at least seven months after formal construction has ended.
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