Sinn Féin TD for Waterford and PAC member David Cullinane has said the news that the cost of the National Children’s Hospital is set to increase again and face further delays is unacceptable, and greater political accountability is urgently needed.

Deputy Cullinane said;

“The news that further additional costs have been submitted by the contractor are further proof of the governments failures in managing to contain the costs of the project.

“Back in December we were told the maximum cost of the National Children’s Hospital would be at a maximum of €1.7bn. It is clear now, as it was then, that this was aspiration not reality.

“When my colleague Louise O’Reilly raised the matter of overspending with the Taoiseach, he seemed to think this was normal behaviour of which the State could do nothing about – nothing could be further from the truth.

“Overruns from this project will lead to cuts in the capital budget for health and other projects will lose out as a result. We need to ensure that does not happen.

“We need stronger transparency and greater accountability when it comes to this project.”