After more than €2 billion of public funds and a decade of construction, we still have no idea when the national children's hospital will open. When we were told yesterday at the Oireachtas health committee that the 18th completion deadline will be missed, it was not a surprise. I am beginning to wonder why we get project deadlines from BAM at all. We would be better off asking Mystic Meg at this point. BAM is giving the run-around to the Government, the hospital development board and ultimately, the Irish people. The Minister for Health was told at a meeting earlier this month that more construction workers would be put on site to get this essential project finished, but this has not happened. The Minister now tells us that she is going to write to BAM again. I am sure it is shaking in its boots. This farce has gone on long enough. The only way this project will be completed on time is if BAM provides enough workers on site to do the work but it has repeatedly reneged on its commitment to do this. Why is the Government not in the High Court today to seek an urgent undertaking from BAM that it will deliver on its own promise? This would not be a lengthy court action. It would be quick and on that net issue to ensure that the hospital can open as soon as possible in order that children across the country who desperately need it can be treated there.

The Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, is doing a lot more than just writing letters. She is taking a very hands-on approach in relation to this issue. She has the full support of the entire Government in getting this project over the line. It is a project that will transform children's health in this country. The Minister is continuing to work hard on this. She met with the international company, Royal BAM, recently so it is unfair to suggest that she is just writing letters. She is doing a hell of a lot more than that. The other thing that the Minister has worked on with the Department, the HSE and CHI is early access. I am sure Deputy Rice heard about that at the committee yesterday. This has enabled CHI to have access to the hospital which has meant that 3,245 pieces of equipment have been deployed to the new hospital, 930 pieces of ICT equipment and 1,100 pieces of electronic health records. While we are continuing to do everything we can to protect the taxpayer and to keep the pressure on in relation to BAM, I am pleased that in parallel to that, the early access is allowing the hospital to begin to be actually equipped so it can be ready to treat the children of this country.