Individual harrowing tales set before us last night by the "RTE Investigates" programme revealed a deep malaise at the heart of our national health service. The idea that Governments going back to 2002 were misled about the state of our waiting list is troubling. I echo the call made by my colleague, Deputy Alan Kelly, who wanted and is calling for an independent probe into how these lists are compiled and published. The critical issue is what we do into the future. The work being done by the Committee on the Future of Healthcare is absolutely critical now. I urge its members to ensure three things. First, they should finalise the report as quickly as possible so we can begin implementation. Second, ensure the recommendations are not focused on short-term fixes but on long-term proposals that will expand capacity and increase outputs. Third, ensure whatever is recommended is accompanied by a clear implementation plan and detailed costings in order that the recommendations can be achieved.

Against this backdrop, we also learned from media reports over the weekend that the cost of the national children's hospital has spiralled by almost 50%. As we know, when the planning application for this facility was lodged in 2015 we were told the cost would be €650 million. Less than two years later, and after much continued controversy about the location of the hospital, we now have a successful bidder but with a significantly higher cost. That is without taking into account the more than €200 million cost of the fitting out of the hospital. Some serious questions arise. Why have costs escalated to such an extent in less than two years? Where will this extra money come from?

Such additional expenditure comes against a backdrop of other health pressures. Will the cost of the new Central Mental Hospital in north Dublin, which is a similar project, be on budget? What about the cost of the new maternity hospital, the planning permission for which we still have not seen lodged yet? When will we have answers to these very clear control issues in health care costs? Where will the Taoiseach find the additional €300 million base cost or €500 million, including the fit out cost, for the national children's hospital?

The Deputy mentioned three points. First, the committee should finalise the report at an early time. I support that. Second, the recommendations should be focused on the long term as distinct from the short term. I support that. The third point the Deputy made was there should be a clear implementation plan to deal with it. If we can have an all-party agreement from an Oireachtas committee on a ten-year fix on issues that will remove politics from that, then so much the better. The Minister will be very happy to follow that. The three recommendations the Deputy made are helpful.

In regard to the national children's hospital, which the Deputy was involved with in the beginning, the project was turned down at the Mater where significant moneys had been spent on excavating the underground car park. The move now to the current site is one I support. We expect that to be under way very quickly. The original cost was €450 million, which was estimated when the Deputy was Minister. That rose to €650 million and we now have speculation that it is somewhere under €1 billion. It is true to say there are few firms that actually have the competence to build a hospital as complicated and as major as this. It is also true that during the recession, many construction firms tendered under price and many of them went bust as a consequence. I am not suggesting that is the reason for the inflation now but there is an element of construction inflation here. It may well be that in order for the health services to get Government on board they will say they could build for a particular amount. In any event, once we get on that treadmill, things can rise. My understanding is that planning permission has been issued.

The group involved is appointing a committee of experienced personnel to constantly monitor what will be a fixed contract. It should be remembered that this will serve 25% of the people of this island - the children - for the next 50 years. We have been talking about an incapacity to open surgical theatres that were designed specifically for that purpose.

That is shocking.

This is a building that will not be finished until 2021. Last year's estimate in respect of the cost of the project was €650 million. It will be four years hence before the facility will be completed. My understanding is that a very significant experienced committee will meet and carefully monitor that fixed price contract. We hope it will serve the children of the island of Ireland for the next 50 years.