AN EXTRA €40m in funding has been signed off by Cabinet today towards to development of the new Children’s Hospital.

This will bring the total approved capital budget for the project to €1.473bn.

The hospital is now 92% complete according to the development board, with the first patients expected to be admitted by summer 2025 at the earliest. 

Over two years ago, in November 2021 the Government was advised that the new hospital could not be completed within the original sanctioned budget and would cost than initially budgeted.

A memo brought to Cabinet by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly today requested Government approval for an increase to the previous sanctioned capital budget of €1.433bn to ensure the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) and the project can continue and are not in breach of public financial procedures.

This was approved by Cabinet.

The overall cost of the project has risen from an estimated €800 million in 2014, to €983 million in 2017, to €1.4 billion as of December 2019.

The original completion date in the tender document was August 2022.