Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 September 2026
759. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Health if there is a significant issue with the modular bathrooms in the new children's hospital; the total number of bathrooms affected; whether this issue is related to the insulation used; if this issue can be outlined in detail; to clarify if the issue with insulation in the modular bathrooms will cause a delay in the delivery of the hospital; and if so, to provide a timeline. [68430/26]
View answerOpening the National Children’s Hospital Ireland (NCHI) is a government priority. Everything possible is being done to ensure this world-class hospital will open as quickly as possible, on behalf of children, young people, and their families.
I have been clear that the responsibility for committing to, resourcing, and delivering this project sits squarely with the project’s main contractor, BAM Ireland. The State will not reduce the pressure or dilute that accountability.
It is critically important that the hospital is delivered and fully compliant with all building regulations and contract requirements. The National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB) has advised that it has had to significantly increase the size of its site inspectorate team to provide the necessary level of assurance. This has been required because BAM has not implemented its Quality Management Plan effectively. As a result of persistent quality shortcomings, 100% of rooms and other key elements are now being inspected by the NPHDB’s site inspectorate team, compared with the industry-standard approach of sampling approximately 20%.
To date, 88% of the rooms in the NCHI have been delivered to the contractual standard. Over the past 15 months, the need for BAM to extensively rework initial installations to meet contractual standards has affected progress. Examples include all 316 manual sliding doors requiring remediation; 126 of the 244 bathroom pods requiring floor remediation to ensure proper drainage to outlets; and 11 of the 22 operating theatre floors requiring remediation, three of which had to be redone for a third time. Approximately 40% of the ventilation system was also found to contain dust because BAM carried out rework in rooms without adequate dust-protection measures.
Since the project began, BAM has addressed 198,500 defects, including the remediation of more than 2,000 fire doors.
BAM is responsible for ensuring that quality standards and compliance are met across all aspects of the NCHI. Where a contractor is unable to demonstrate compliance with the standards set out in the Works Contract with the appropriate documentation, they are required to conduct testing to demonstrate compliance with the technical and contractual requirements.
A BAM compliance issue with the certification of the 244 prefabricated bathroom pods has arisen. BAM has full responsibility for that procurement, including purchasing materials and installing the bathroom pods in accordance the Contract.
BAM has undertaken independent testing to ascertain compliance with the required standards. A detailed remediation plan, based on the outcome of the tests performed, is awaited from BAM. The NPHDB has advised that it stands ready to fully engage and assist in any way possible to advance BAM’s resolution of the matter in a way that achieves the necessary compliance.
This is not a fire risk, but rather a compliance matter BAM. The NCHI is one of the most protected buildings in Europe as it relates to fire safety. It is a fully sprinklered building with a robust and extensive fire compartmentation and fire-stopping strategy, as detailed in the granted Fire Safety Certificate. When the NCHI opens, it will be compliant with the Fire Safety Certificate and Building Control Regulations.
