Details released to Sinn Féin reveal no formal meetings were held between the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, and the board of the new National Children's Hospital for fifteen months.
Sinn Féin's health spokesperson, David Cullinan, discovered the lack of communication through a Freedom of Information request.
In FOI requests released to me & published in the @irishdailymail today they confirm that the Minister for Health did not formally meet with development Board overseeing the Children’s hospital for all of 2022 and for the first quarter of 2023. An incredible hands off approach.
— David Cullinane T.D. (@davidcullinane) August 5, 2023
Deputy Cullinane calls what he found 'extraordinary'.
He says: "The Minister has taken a very hands-off approach to the National Children's Hospital. He has been on the sidelines. He should be making sure that he has regular meetings with the board. He should be ensuring that the board have a completion date; that this project is moving on as quickly as possible".
"The only way that the Minister can be assured that everything that can be done is being done to minimise costs, to ensure that works are happening at the speed they need to happen to deliver the project in 2024, was for the Minister to be meeting with the board and to be getting regular updates".
This information comes amid a dispute between the board and the developer of the hospital over the soaring construction costs.
The controversial project is set to cost over 2 billion euro the complete.
