The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Brassil’s fears for Kerry projects after overrun on Children’s Hospital
KERRY TD John Brassil has this week highlighted his concerns over the impact that expected budget overruns at the National Children’s Hospital Project will have on health projects here in Kerry.
The Fianna Fáil TD for Kerry said that he is concerned that the government’s management of the project will lead to delays on the delivery of much-needed health infrastructure improvements in the county.
“Don’t get me wrong. We need this hospital built, but the total cost rising from just over €400 million in 2012 to an expected €1.4 billion now puts many of the capital health projects in County Kerry in jeopardy,” he said.
“The new obstetrics theatre, the additional 37 hospital beds and the new laboratory are all desperately required. However, if the Department’s capital budget continues to be swallowed up by these growing costs for the children’s hospital, who knows if or when our local projects will ever be completed?” he added.
Mr Brassil also hit out at the now-Taoiseach Leo Varadker for, what he claimed, “doing nothing” about the situation during his time as Health Minister and he further blamed the Taoiseach for what he said was overseeing further increases in the budget.
“The people of Kerry deserve improved health facilities every bit as much as the people inside the M50,” he added.
Mr Brassil TD was speaking after the second day of questioning of the senior Department of Health officials at the Oireachtas Health Committee on the exponential rise in expected costs for the children’s hospital in Dublin.