Children's hospital contractor cites 'design changes' amid completion date doubt

"BAM said it had been issued with scores of design alterations despite a commitment from Government that there would be no further "substantive changes". It came after Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill cast doubt over whether construction at the new national children's hospital will be completed by September. The serially delayed project in Dublin had an original completion date of August 2022, while costs have ballooned from a planned €650 million to an expected €2.2 billion."

"However, the contractor said it was in a specialist stage of the project and it was "entirely normal" for fewer personnel to be on site. It added that the majority of ongoing work relates to design changes that were issued to it after a commitment that no further alterations would be sought was made by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly."

"Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Ms Carroll MacNeill said: "The single biggest concern I have at the moment is with BAM, is with the fact that there are half the number of contractors on site than there had been at the end of last year." She said there were previously 800-900 on site every week at the end of 2024 compared with around 400-500 now."

BAM reported being issued with scores of design alterations despite a government commitment that there would be no further substantive changes. Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill expressed doubt that construction at the new national children's hospital will be completed by September. The project originally targeted August 2022 completion and costs have increased from a planned €650 million to an expected €2.2 billion. After main-contractor completion, the hospital requires a six-to-nine month commissioning period. The minister said BAM was drawing down under a third of available monthly funds and that on-site contractor numbers fell from about 800–900 weekly at end-2024 to around 400–500 now. BAM said fewer personnel are normal in a specialist stage and that most ongoing work relates to post-commitment design changes.

Read at Irish Independent