'You're consistent, one disaster after another': Harris shamed by public over Children's Hospital

Eva Osborne

Tánaiste Simon Harris received emails and letters from members of the public expressing their anger over the delays and high costs associated with the Children's Hospital while he was taoiseach.

One such email told the former taoiseach that he was consistent so far, with "one disaster after another left in your wake".

The National Children’s Hospital is set to miss yet another completion target, adding to a long list of delays for Ireland’s most expensive public build.

This will be the 16th time the project has been delayed, with works now expected to be completed next year.

Costs continued to grow, rising from €987 million to €2.2 billion, with repeated delays exacerbated by an increasingly fractious relationship between the builders, BAM, and the board overseeing the project, The Irish Times reported.

BAM, the main contractor, is facing growing pressure as costs continue to rise and deadlines slip further.

In correspondence seen by BreakingNews.ie, members of the public berated Harris for the numerous deadline delays and the growing costs associated with the hospital.

One person said: "Sense of great pride. You will be lucky if your great grandchildren see that hospital open. We take our time in Ireland and rip off the taxpayer."

One member of the public wrote to Harris about personal experiences with a sick child.

"I have spent more nights than I care to remember in hospital at my child's bedside. While my sick child slept in his tiny room in his bed, I slept in a chair or on a mattress on the floor," they said.

"I washed my sick child in a communal bathroom. On some wards, there was no play area for my child.

"I would love to walk through the corridors of our children's hospital as they currently are with you and those involved in the building of our hospital.

I would love you to see first-hand the current facilities our sick children and their families are in. I guarantee that if you all only knew what is currently there then there would be no blame games. The hospital would just be built.

Another wrote: "My notifcation to you is on behalf of the little children around Ireland who are suffering excruciating pain and still with no children's hospital open.

"A project that initially cost €750 million. We now have a cost of €2.2 billion and more than likely to be increased.

"Consequently, to the above is where is the accountability for the hard earned tax payers money. But more importantly how can this Government stand over their integrity when little children are suffering on a daily basis.

"The question for you minister and the Government is who signed off on the contracts following on from the tendering process and whose incompetency has failed these little children who are suffering with excruciating pain on a daily basis and all because the little children's hospital remains unopened.

"All I can say is shame on you all."

Another member of the public got in touch to say: "Great job on Children's Hospital by the way! Four times over budget, another weak contract, no accountability.

"Great profit for BAM. Got any share in BAM Simon? Just goes to show how corrupt and sick the system that I am forced to finance with endless taxation and stealth taxes really is.

"Keep up the 'good work' kid. Playing a blinder!"