Serious concern now that it’ll be 2027 by the time new children’s hospital is fully open

• Minister must set out the new completion date, the impacts of the delay and the consequences for cost, staffing and warranties on existing equipment. 
• Disgraceful 16th delay to National Children’s Hospital project is another letdown for children, families and staff. 
• Not clear if all commissioning works can be completed in the shorter nine-month commissioning period. 

 

Labour’s Health Spokesperson Marie Sherlock TD has called on Minister Carroll MacNeill to come into the Dáil to set out the new completion date and consequences of yet another delay to the completion date for the new National Children’s Hospital.

Deputy Sherlock said: 

“I’ve a very real concern that the new hospital will not fully open until early 2027. This latest delay is the sixteenth delay, and it is not clear that once the hospital is eventually handed over, that the commissioning can happen in the compressed 9-month period. 

“In September, the Minister expressed clear concerns about the sequencing and progress of works. We need to hear now what actions the Minister has taken to resolve this unholy mess. 

“These delays have potentially serious consequences. There are immediate questions about warranties for expensive medical equipment that has already been installed, the planning and recruitment of essential staff, and, of course, spiraling costs to the taxpayer.  

“This project is a case study in Government failure and project mismanagement. Such has been the outrageous level of delay that I believe for much of the public, it’s a case of “seeing is believing” with regard to the opening. 

“Our children deserve better than blame games and moving goalposts. Government must now take urgent action to bring this project to completion — safely, transparently, and without further delay.”