Ireland's National Children's Hospital Faces 19th Delay, Costs Soar to €2.24 Billion
Ireland's National Children's Hospital faces its 19th delay, with costs soaring to €2.24 billion from an initial €800 million. Key issues include 106,500 defects and ventilation problems. The project is mired in legal disputes over blame and escalating expenses, with no concrete opening date or final cost yet determined.
Ireland's National Children's Hospital has missed its 18th substantial completion date, with the 19th now awaited. David Gunning, chief officer of the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB), acknowledged a lack of confidence in future deadlines.
Key issues include 106,500 defects in 5,728 rooms and dust in ventilation ducts. Despite this, Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) has progressively accessed hospital areas since December, with Level six fully fitted and early access extended to ground floor clinical areas in March. Significant progress has been made on equipment installation, with 15% of medical, 14% of non-medical, 21% of laboratory, and 16% of ICT infrastructure installed.
The project's cost has escalated from €800 million in 2014 to an estimated €2.24 billion currently. The NPHDB is defending €899 million in claims from contractor Bam, with five High Court proceedings ongoing. The contractor blames late design changes, while the board and Minister for Health cite understaffing. The hospital, intended to serve a generation of children, remains without a concrete opening date or final cost.