Health Minister Challenges BAM Over National Children’s Hospital Claims

The Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, has publicly disputed claims made by the construction company BAM regarding the progress of the long-awaited National Children’s Hospital. During a press event on Wednesday, MacNeill described BAM’s assertions that substantial parts of the hospital have been ready since July as “not credible.”

The exchange between MacNeill and BAM highlighted concerns over the project’s timeline and budget. She expressed doubts about BAM’s capacity to adhere to its own work schedule, alleging that there have not been enough contractors on-site to meet the necessary demands. According to MacNeill, BAM has been drawing down only between €2.8 million and €3 million monthly from a funding pool of €10 million allocated by the State for contractors and subcontractors. This funding was intended to expedite the hospital’s completion, with the first paediatric patients anticipated to receive treatment by June 2026.

“This demonstrates that BAM have not put the contractors in to deliver the hospital according to their commitments,” MacNeill stated. She emphasized that it is BAM’s responsibility to fulfill its obligations within the established timeline.

In response, BAM issued a statement expressing disappointment regarding the Minister’s comments. The company asserted that the hospital project is over 99 percent complete and that significant areas have been ready since early July, which they claim were offered to the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB).

Minister’s Counterclaims on Hospital Readiness

MacNeill followed up with another statement later that day, further contesting BAM’s position. She stated,

“It is not credible for BAM to suggest that ‘large areas of the hospital have been completed since early July and offered to the NPHDB for early access.’”

According to her, the NPHDB reported that many of the rooms BAM offered still have outstanding issues, with only approximately 800 rooms deemed acceptable—less than 15 percent of the total.

The Minister criticized the manner in which BAM has presented these rooms, pointing out that they were “chequerboarded” across various floors rather than grouped in a coherent manner. She insisted that what is needed are whole zones or blocks of rooms, from the ground floor up to the sixth floor, to facilitate meaningful early access for Children’s Health Ireland.

MacNeill also dismissed BAM’s claims that ongoing design changes are causing delays in the project’s completion, highlighting the contradiction in their assertions of being nearly finished. “It is BAM’s responsibility to get its final 1 percent done,” she concluded.

The ongoing public exchange underscores the complexities and challenges surrounding the National Children’s Hospital project, which has faced delays and budget overruns since its inception. As both sides continue to assert their positions, the situation remains a focal point of scrutiny within the health sector.