Since the outset of this process, I have made clear that part of the upfront payment to the State from the licensing arrangements for the National Lottery will be used to help fund the construction of the National Children’s Hospital. Up to 200 million euro of the proceeds from upfront payment will be made available for the building of the Hospital. The overall estimated cost of the Hospital is 650 million euro. The HSE has an indicative sum of 450 million euro in its capital programme for the Hospital project, including provision for ambulatory and urgent care.
The intention has never been to allocate the entire upfront payment from the National Lottery to the building of the Hospital. Some moneys which will accrue from the payment in respect of the National Lottery licence are being allocated to help fund Exchequer capital projects in 2013 and 2014.