Another delay to new national children’s hospital revealed with opening date now heading to 2026

The latest crisis to hit the long overdue project is revealed in correspondence to Taoiseach Simon Harris and the Coalition leaders.

The cost of the hospital has spiralled out of control and currently stands at €2.2 billion.

The latest deadline for completion of the hospital of February next year will now be missed and there was previously a timeline of next month, October 2024.

Now 2026 is being spoken of within the Government as a likely opening date.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has urgently written to the Coalition leaders, the Taoiseach Simon Harris, Tánaiste Micheál Martin and Children's Minister and Green Party leader Roderic O'Gorman, with an update on the project.

Mr Donnelly told the leaders that the hospital will not meet the latest deadline in 2025, with a prolonged opening date. He said the board had been informed of the latest delay but there was little or no leverage in the contract.

The Government is expected to insist no further funding will be provided for this stage of the development.

The board of the hospital is due to appear before the Oireachtas Health Committee next week. Mr Donnelly's letter is thought to be pre-empting any revelations of further delay there.

Around €600m in claims from BAM, the construction company, have yet to be assessed and resolved. The board is contesting the claims but it runs the risk of the Government having to step in with a further bailout.

The Government has given the go-ahead this year to another €500m to fund the hospital.

At the time, then-Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said no more money would be allocated to the project, which was originally due to be finished in 2015 at a cost of €650m.

Once construction has finished, it will take six months or more for the hospital to be ready to accept the first patients.

The delays mean the hospital will not be opened before the current government goes to the polls in a general election.

The mounting cost of the hospital, which has taken years to construct, is likely to be felt many years after it opens because of the delay in assessing claims by the builder.

The new hospital will replace the three existing children's hospitals in Dublin. The new children's hospital will merge three existing children's hospital into a singular body and will be located adjacent to St James Hospital.

Our Lady's Children's Hospital in Crumlin, Temple Street Children's Hospital in Dublin city centre and The National Children's Hospital in Tallaght will join together resulting in all paediatric specialists being under one roof.

The new hospital will have 6,150 rooms in total, 380 of which will be individual en-suite inpatient bedrooms, each with a bed for the parents.

The hospital will have 1,000 parking spaces, 675 of which will be dedicated to families.

The facility will have a 53-bed family accommodation facility with outdoor space with 14 gardens and courtyards..

The hospital will have 22 operating theatres and procedure rooms and it will be the first public digital hospital in Ireland.