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Children's Hospital contractor 'needs to step up' and deliver project on time, says minister

The contractor is pushing out the handover date from March to May 2024, says the minister.

THE CONTRACTOR FOR the National Children’s Hospital ”needs to step up”, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has said. 

Speaking to reporters at Government Buildings this afternoon, he said a “revised programme of works” submitted by the contractor pushes out the handover date of the hospital from March 2024 to May 2024. 

The board has not agreed to the schedule of the works, said the minister. 

An issue was identified last month with 11 operating theatres; however, the board rejected the suggestion that faults in the ceiling of the operating theatres could set the project back “tens of millions” of euro. 

In a statement last month, the board said the “critical issue of concern” relates to the contractor BAM. It said BAM continues to submit large volumes of claims on the new children’s hospital project – 2,122 claims up to the end of May 2023.

“To date, of the determined claims made by the Employer’s Representative, less than 2% of the value of the claims submitted by BAM has been awarded in its favour. Including settled disputes this is equivalent to approx. €13m or 1.4% of the contract value,” it said. 

Donnelly told reporters that he met with the board, chairman and the chief executive last week. 

“We looked through the issues in great detail. The board is determined to bring this project in as quickly as it can and for the best possible value for the state.

“My view on this is very clear. The contractor has an obligation to deliver according to its contract. There were some inevitable delays to be fair during Covid, but there have been delays to this project, which I don’t believe are acceptable or certainly not acceptable to me,” he said.

“The contractor has submitted a revised program of works that I believe shifts the handover date from March to May.”

He also said that the board does not believe it is a “compliant schedule of works”.

“I believe greater efforts are required from the contractor. I believe that there is more that can be done in terms of deploying resources to this site to accelerate the speed at which this is being delivered.

“I’m not satisfied at the speed with which it’s being delivered. And so we’re working through various issues in terms of timelines, and ensuring the best possible value for money. The contractor has made claims for a very, very significant amount of money,” he said. 

“But my position on this is very clear. The contractor needs to step up. The contractor needs to deploy sufficient resources to bring this project in, according to the original timelines,” said Donnelly, stating that the original handover date is March.

“If there is to be a further delay to me that needs to be agreed in good faith with the board, who are doing their very best on behalf of the state,” said Donnelly.

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    Mute Joan Featherstone
    Favourite Joan Featherstone
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    Feb 13th 2014, 8:58 AM

    What a super gesture and that hotel is in a beautiful spot. Well done!

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    Mute Robbie Doyle
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    Feb 13th 2014, 9:03 AM

    This is the type of spirit we should be working towards and aspiring to as a country rather than promoting peoples apparent selfishness.

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    Mute Neal •IntoYourHead
    Favourite Neal •IntoYourHead
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    Feb 25th 2014, 11:09 AM

    Okay, relax there and stop judging us all.

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    Mute Alison Irving
    Favourite Alison Irving
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    Feb 13th 2014, 10:46 AM

    Yesterday evening getting on the bus I realised there was no money on my Leap card & I didnt have enough change for the fare – bus driver let me off with the extra because he “couldn’t leave you out there in that weather”. Thanks Dublin Bus!!

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    Mute Ryan Freeman
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    Feb 13th 2014, 9:21 AM

    Session!

    132
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    Mute Darren Callaghan
    Favourite Darren Callaghan
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    Feb 13th 2014, 10:00 AM

    Power Cut, lock in at the Glendalough Hotel during a storm, damn it why didn’t I buy house in Laragh

    110
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    Mute Sean Scanlon
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    Feb 13th 2014, 1:57 PM

    I did

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    Mute Daisy Chainsaw
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    Feb 13th 2014, 11:03 AM

    Whitford House Hotel in Wexford posted something similar. I don’t know if they provided any freebies, but there are worse places to while away a bad evening!

    (*not related or affiliated. I just like the place.)

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    Mute aisling doyle
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    Feb 13th 2014, 11:55 AM

    Love it too :) always a great place to go — great to see people been nice

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    Mute Shanti
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    Feb 13th 2014, 11:26 AM

    I saw a lot of these types of gestures on Facebook last night – including this one..
    Nice to see that sense of community is still with us.. Unlike the garden furniture and a few sheds..

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    Mute Deborah Carroll
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    Feb 13th 2014, 4:43 PM

    Lovely to see them helping out, unlike a certain shop in Newcastle West charging 80 euro for a camping stove this morning…

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    Mute Neal •IntoYourHead
    Favourite Neal •IntoYourHead
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    Feb 25th 2014, 11:11 AM

    That seems quite reasonable for a camping stove.

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    Mute Barry Aston
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    Feb 13th 2014, 3:17 PM

    Great hotel in all truth. Used to lack a bit years ago but is now top notch. Spent 4 days there last week. They are sound staff and the chef is fairly handy too.

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    Mute Jacinta O'Shaughnessy Foley
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    Feb 13th 2014, 10:32 AM

    Brilliant marketing stategy!

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    Mute Mary Blake
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    Feb 13th 2014, 5:37 PM

    Fantastic well done we all need a little help sometimes

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    Mute AICS (Steve Tracey)
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    Feb 13th 2014, 7:29 PM

    Possibly was a marketing, PR strategy. Does that make it any less pf a good thing? I supposevsome people will always find a way of belittling helpful actions.

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    Mute David Giles
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    Feb 14th 2014, 6:02 AM

    Virtue brings its own reward.

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    Mute Gerard Creedon
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    Feb 13th 2014, 12:28 PM

    Great thinkin can’t lose wit dat PR !!

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    Mute Gobblor
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    Feb 13th 2014, 3:48 PM

    wit dat?

    Red thumb for being a moron.

    23
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