Kildare TD: Dept. Of Health "Refusing" To Release Details Of Children's Hospital Review.

The review began last year, and a draft report has already issued to the department.

A Kildare North TD, and vice chair of the Public Accounts Committee, says the Department of Health is "refusing" to release details of a review into the new Children’s Hospital to the committee.
 
A  review of the project,  by the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board and the Department of Health, began last year.

The Health Minister was given the draft report in January.

Kildare North Social Democrat TD, and party Co-Leader, Catherine Murphy, says “In February, the PAC was told that report would be concluded within weeks – at which point there would finally be clarity about the hospital’s budget. But there appears to be a new approach now there is a new Secretary General.
 
“Earlier this month, Mr Watt sent the PAC a letter which states:
 
“There is an extremely high likelihood that any discussion on costs or dates, however hypothetical, even from the draft stages of the process, would prejudice enforcement of the existing contract and very likely undermine the role of the Development Bord in its ongoing engagement with the main contractor”.
 
According to Mr Watt, all of the most controversial information about this project – the cost and timeline - is suddenly too sensitive to publish. What a stroke of luck for the Department.
 
“The PAC is the State’s public spending watchdog. How on earth is it supposed to do its job if Departments won’t tell us how much they are spending? Mr Watt’s intervention has ensured this debacle has gone from tragedy to farce.
 
“This latest review is at least the 13th into this omnishambles. Between 2017 and 2019, 11 separate reviews were undertaken at a cost of €700,000. An additional report was then sought from PwC at a cost of €450,000.
 
"After 12 reports costing €1.15 million, what did we learn? That the taxpayer would be lucky to emerge with any change from €1.7 billion for this project.  
 
“Now, there is another report, the details of which are apparently too explosive to publish. What is the Department trying to hide?

"We know there have been more than 800 claims submitted by the contractor and the Hospital Development Board has been without a chairperson, and two members, since January.

How much is this project going to cost the Irish people; when is it going to be delivered and who is in charge of delivery?"