The cost of the new Children’s hospital in Dublin has gone from €450 million to €2000 million or more.
Why?
I don’t think many people thought that the €450 million price was realistic but what has changed?
It seems that the HSE signed the contracts before the design and spec was finalised. It the extra billion or so due to changes in specification or is it due to price inflation? All of the noise, political point scoring and deflection hasn’t informed us what the reasons are for the over run.
If the project managers don’t get sacked then the Minister for Health should (and maybe he should go as well). Oversight of a project of this scale has to be part of the ministers core responsibilities.
My initial reaction is this is the typical lethal mix of incompetence and lack of accountability which is endemic within most of the Public Sector.
That said I still think they should plough on and build it. If they don’t waste the money on this they’ll waste it on something else or, worse, give it out in pay rises which will cost the same every year.
Why?
I don’t think many people thought that the €450 million price was realistic but what has changed?
It seems that the HSE signed the contracts before the design and spec was finalised. It the extra billion or so due to changes in specification or is it due to price inflation? All of the noise, political point scoring and deflection hasn’t informed us what the reasons are for the over run.
If the project managers don’t get sacked then the Minister for Health should (and maybe he should go as well). Oversight of a project of this scale has to be part of the ministers core responsibilities.
My initial reaction is this is the typical lethal mix of incompetence and lack of accountability which is endemic within most of the Public Sector.
That said I still think they should plough on and build it. If they don’t waste the money on this they’ll waste it on something else or, worse, give it out in pay rises which will cost the same every year.