National children’s hospital delays: Government was told in April that delivery date would be pushed back further

The Government was told this spring that the delivery date for the national children’s hospital (NCH) had been delayed by another two months, according to an update given by main contractor BAM.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) – the State entity responsible for overall development of the project – said that in April of this year, BAM issued a monthly report for February.

This “included a programme update with a substantial completion of the new hospital in May 2024”. A monthly report submitted in September 2022 included a date for substantial completion of March 2024, the NPHDB said.

However, the Department of Health said the April update which suggested a further two-month delay programme had expired, while an overall programme of works containing a substantial completion date, as opposed to a monthly update, had not been given.

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The NPHDB said the absence of a programme of works meant that BAM was not compliant. It also said monthly reports for March, April and May were overdue.

According to the Department of Health, a period of operational commissioning of at least six months will be required once the contractor has achieved substantial completion.

If the delivery date is in line with BAM’s April update, and the hospital is handed over only in May of next year, that would risk undermining the Government’s expectation that children would be treated in the hospital next year. It also raises the prospect of further delays meaning it would not be operational before the date by which the next general election must be held, in March 2025.

In a statement on Wednesday, the department said the board “continues to engage with BAM to secure a compliant programme, as required under the construction contract, and to focus on ensuring that everything possible is being done to complete the construction project as soon as possible”.

It said just over €1.3 billion of the Government-approved budget of €1.433 billion had been drawn down. The total cost of the hospital is expected to be about €1.73 billion, although there is a belief that this could climb higher still, towards €2 billion.

According to the department, works at the St James’s site have “progressed well” with the project 80-85 per cent complete. “The major focus in 2023 continues to be the internal fit-out and commissioning of mechanical and electrical services.”