Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 February 2019
197. Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the reason the Revised Estimates published on 19 December 2018 took no account of the cost overrun on the national children’s hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6947/19]
View answerThe issue of the cost overrun in the National Children's Hospital, NCH, went to Government on 18 December 2018. Following on from that decision, my Department has been engaging with the Department of Health and with other Departments in relation to how the increased costs of the National Children's Hospital project in 2019 will be managed within the overall agreed capital allocation for 2019, in light of the multi-year management of the broad range of capital projects, amounting to upwards of €7 billion this year.
As this process is ongoing, the effect of the decision could not be included in the revised estimates 2019, which was published on 19 December 2018.
I am bringing proposals to Government in this regard and decisions will be announced in due course. The overall intention is to proceed with our very ambitious agenda of strategic infrastructure investment throughout the course of 2019 and subsequent years, with the minimum of disruption to the rollout and delivery of key projects. Any reallocations will be published in further revised estimates for 2019 for relevant Departments, in due course.
