Greens demand Minister take back control of Children's Hospital from failure quangos

Cllr Hazel Chu, Green Party Spokesperson for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Services, Reform, Digitalisation & Media sharply criticised the Government’s hands off approach to national infrastructure projects that has led to the latest debacle with the National Children’s Hospital.

“With the project being delayed for the fifteenth time and costs rising now to possible 2.3 billion, today’s information coming out from the Public Accounts Committee reflects what happens when Government pawns off responsibility and allows for large scale projects to spiral.”

Chu continues:

"Despite nearly a decade of construction, we are told today completion has now been delayed again until at least September 2025, that the cost will go to possibly 2.3 billion and that BAM has only completed 60% of the planned progress. With no patients expected to be treated until summer 2026, over 2,200 cost claims in dispute and five sets of high court proceedings initiated over such claims, clearly the hands off approach to quangos has gone on too long and the infrastructure unit in DPER needs to step in.”

It will be a key test on whether the Department of Expenditure and Reform is actually focused on delivery and completion or will it continue to be the dead hand it has always been.