TIMELINE OF INCREASING COSTS AT THE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
AUGUST 29, 2017
PROJECT director of the National Paediatric Hospital Development board (NPHDB) John Pollock raises concerns about increased costs at a meeting of the Children’s Hospital Programme and Project Steering Group (CHP&P).
‘JP raised a concern regarding costs – it was noted that there is an aligned programme issue between mechanical/electrical work and main contractor as well as fire certificate/sprinklers additional requirements – to be reported to the group on a regular basis,’ the minutes of the meeting read.
OCTOBER 20, 2017
‘JP [John Pollock] noted some emerging challenges, with estimated capital costs currently exceeding funding available.
‘JP noted this is a working estimate; it will be January-March 2018 before there is certainty’, CHP&P minutes read.
Options were discussed to deal with the funding deficit and it was agreed a report would be compiled describing the ‘emerging risks’ and looking at ways to ‘mitigate the deficit’.
MARCH 26 2018
‘JP [John Pollock] noted GMP [general maximum price] agree- ments with main contractor are currently unsatisfactory and this issue has been escalated,’ the CHP&P minutes state.
APRIL 23 2018
John Pollock ‘flagged pricing discrepancies between NPH quantity surveyors and BAM/M&E Contractors’.
Mr Pollock said at the CHP&P meeting it was ‘too early to esti- mate at this point’ the financial risks involved.
MAY 31 2018
A Department of Health assistant secretary advises the board ‘to go to government for decision before the 2019 Estimates process, September would be better than October’.
The board heard that the ‘deadline end-June will not be met for
concluding GMP process’.
AUGUST 27 2018
The board were told the contractor submitted new estimates on August 24 and these ‘now need to be reviewed’.
The meeting heard the GMP process was not yet complete but ‘it is likely that the final GMP will be significantly greater than originally anticipated’, the minutes stated.
AUGUST 2018
Minister for Health Simon Harris said that he became aware of potential cost over-runs in August of last year but he was not aware exactly by how much.
NOVEMBER 2018
Minister Harris said he became aware of the exact amount of the costs over-run and notified the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Minister for Finance and Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe.
NOVEMBER 2018
Minister Harris said in a parliamentary question that ‘capital expenditure to date on the St James’s site and urgent care centres at Connolly and Tallaght is €197.8million and is in line with the expected expenditure profile’.