The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) is the statutory body responsible for planning, designing, building and equipping the new children's hospital. The NPHDB has recently completed procurement of design team services for the project, including architect, quantity surveying, mechanical and electrical engineering, civil and structural engineering, project supervisor design process, planning and traffic consultancy services, all procured as separate lots. The NPHDB has confirmed that procurement fully complied with European and Irish procurement laws and also followed the recommendations set out by the Government Construction Contracts Committee of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
Following notification of preferred bidders, statutory standstill periods were observed before appointment. Standstill periods allow time for bidders who are not selected to challenge the procurement process. In notifying bidders, a simple error in addition was made in respect of the scoring of one contract. While this did not affect the outcome of the process, the error was corrected once identified and the post-selection standstill period for this lot extended to ensure certainty of compliance with procurement law and process. No challenge being made to the procurement process for this lot, the NPHDB proceeded with appointment and the relevant contractors are now in place as part of the design team. The design team has begun work on development of detailed plans for the new children's hospital on the site at St. James's, with the aim of submitting a planning application in June 2015.
