Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 May 2017
101. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Health to provide details of the cost benefit analysis that has been performed by his Department for the national children's hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19111/17]
View answerThe Definitive Business Case for the new children’s hospital, which has been prepared in accordance with the Public Spending Code, sets out a detailed financial analysis of the full costs of the new children’s hospital and satellite centres. The associated benefits of the programme are also considered in full in the Business Case. The costs and benefits are set out in a manner which reflects best practice in health care projects internationally and provides a clear basis for decision making regarding the project.
The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) has benchmarked the post-tender construction costs of the new children's hospital against construction costs for major acute hospitals internationally. This exercise demonstrates that construction elements of the project compare favourably to the costs of international projects of a similar size and scale.
On 26 April I announced that the Government has approved the investment required to enable the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board to award the construction contracts for the building of the main children’s hospital on the St James’s Hospital campus and the two Paediatric Outpatients and Urgent Care Centres on the Tallaght and Connolly Hospitals campuses.
The NPHDB is continuing to ensure that every stage of the project is delivered in accordance with national policy to optimal design and value for money, and along with the Children’s Hospital Group Board, continues to work closely with the HSE and my Department to deliver this much-needed world-class hospital.
