I campaigned closely with parents of very sick children and with the Connolly for Kids group against the location of the national children’s hospital at the site at St. James's Hospital. It is frustrating to see that many of the concerns we raised at the time are coming to fruition. These concerns were relayed to the Tánaiste and to the then Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, unfortunately to no avail. Our calls and concerns were ignored. It is now clear that this project is a runaway train. Does the Tánaiste agree that it is time for the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, to step in to control the costs that are ballooning with this hospital and to intervene to ensure the taxpayer gets good value for money and our children who are sick and need a good hospital to attend will have access to one?

I too want to raise this issue. It is a runaway train and I am delighted that Deputy Whitmore brought this up. We in the Rural Independents brought a motion in 2016 and another in 2019, when it was not too late. The Tánaiste chose the site for this, against Connolly for Kids, against the sick children and their parents, against the Jack & Jill Children's Foundation and against everybody. Now it has become a cancer in the body of the health situation. It is a deep black hole and nothing is coming up only murkiness. We have had Covid, Brexit and all the other distractions, including Mr. Justice Woulfe at the moment, but this is wrecking our health service and there is no accountability. The Tánaiste should be ashamed for having chosen that site. It is the wrong place and will never be the right place. One cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

The decision to choose St. James's Hospital as the location for the national children’s hospital was made on foot of an expert committee recommendation in, I think, 2012 or 2013. That was before I was health Minister and long before Deputy Harris was health Minister. I was a member of the Government that made that decision so I have to accept responsibility for it, but anybody who looks back at the record of the time will know what my view on it was.

Should the Minister for Health intervene in this project to ensure there is a control on the cost and the project is delivered as intended?

I do not think it is a question of the Minister intervening. He is the Minister for Health and he is actively involved in stewarding this project. The statutory authority falls to the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board but that board is appointed by the Minister and he is actively involved in managing the project.