Dublin's €2.2 billion children's hospital may not open until 2028 as new defects turn up

Asked whether 2028 was now the completion date, a BAM spokesman said commissioning and certification are in their last stretch, the paper reported. The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) said BAM's Oct. 23 schedule update contained no 2028 date and that it will not discuss timing until the schedule is reviewed and found compliant. By the Mail's count, the opening date has been moved 20 times.

The board said new defects are still being found and closed out on inspection, covering leaks, ventilation, acoustics, duct cleaning and fire doors in the stairwells, where BAM has not supplied all the data requested. The board has had to inspect five times as often as normal, the Mail reported. In a Sept. 29 letter to the Dáil Public Accounts Committee reported by The Irish Times, the board said BAM had fixed 199,700 defects, about 2,000 remained, and 5,017 of 5,728 rooms met contract standard.

The cost has climbed from €987 million to €2.24 billion. BAM has lodged about €983 million in claims; by the end of August the employer's representative had awarded roughly 7%, about €110 million, and the board is holding back 15% of payments for lack of a compliant schedule. BAM denies under-resourcing the job and blames late design changes.

Separately, Children's Health Ireland said 36 computers worth about €1,000 each disappeared from the hospital's early access zones over July 30 and 31, RTÉ reported. Gardaí are investigating. The site stays under BAM's control until substantial completion.