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Irish Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Slowing pace of capital project delivery has knock-on effects for Irish society
Purgatorial delays and escalating costs in delivering capital projects in Ireland is not a new phenomenon. A trawl back to the turn of the century will uncover many examples. They include the National Children's Hospital , the Luas tram system , the Galway Ring Road, the Metro project, offshore wind, and the proposal to extract water from the River Shannon for use in Dublin (first tabled by Dublin City Council in 2011). More than a decade ago prominent management consultant Eddie Molloy created a phrase to describe it: implementation deficit disorder. The latest in a long line of Government reports to grapple with the issue was launched on Tuesday by Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers . This one is short (less than 50 pages) and is essentially a scoping exercise with a brief to pinpoint the reasons for such long delays in completing infrastructure. Thinking up solutions will come later, with a report and action plan due in the autumn. READ MORE The report has identified 12 distinct barriers to timely completion and has not pulled its punches in presenting its findings. In short, the time it takes for big projects to be completed has 'lengthened considerably'. This has meant knock-on effects for society. For example, a wastewater system that is delayed in an area means housing estates cannot be built. The delays of often five years or more can result in the final costs ballooning to a multiple of the initial estimate (look no further than the National Children's Hospital). The 12 barriers are all related. Many of them link in one way or another to the most highlighted impediment of all: judicial review challenges. One key finding is the public is not sufficiently aware of the consequences of poor infrastructure for communities. That lack of knowledge of the real benefits of a project tends to 'magnify opposition'. [ Increase in High Court challenges a key barrier to timely completion of infrastructure, report finds Opens in new window ] There are ongoing developments and expansion plans for the Luas tram system. Photograph: Getty Images That opposition often becomes a High Court challenge. The report cites the Greater Dublin Drainage Project, which has been held back since 2020 by a successful challenge on a single ground. The project will not now be completed until 2032. In the meantime, costs have doubled and could have an impact on further development of housing in north Dublin. The key evidential finding is that the number of judicial review cases is increasing. In 2014, there were 42 cases. In 2024, that figure was 147. Already in the first six months of 2025, there have been 88 such court applications, a 20 per cent increase on last year. A judicial review case can result in a project taking between three and five years longer to complete. Red tape is another significant factor. Chambers cited an Irish Water project that has required 30,000 pages of information. When transposing EU directives, Ireland has often followed the highest possible standard. Elsewhere in Europe, an environmental impact assessment is required for a wastewater treatment plan if it serves a population of 150,000 or more. In Ireland, the threshold is much lower: only 10,000 people. Consequently, it takes more than six years to complete consent for each project in Ireland, many years more than in other EU States. The report has also identified a culture of risk aversion in the public service, partly caused by the increase in High Court cases. It has found that regulatory bodies and Government departments have spent more time scrutinising applications. 'The number of decisions that face judicial review and the associated reputational risk inevitably drives a more conservative approach to decision-making than might otherwise be the case,' it says. What is the impact? It takes a decade to complete a small water treatment plant. It takes seven years to develop a modest electricity substation. Major road projects can take 15 years. Capital projects have seen a doubling of timelines compared to 20 years ago.
Irish Examiner
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
No use crying over spilt stout: Taoiseach rallies after faux pas in Tokyo
As the Taoiseach concluded his speech opening the new Ireland House in Tokyo, he reached under the table to grab two glasses of Guinness left for him. While one of the glasses was successfully retrieved, in a slip, Micheál Martin knocked over the second and managed to spill most of its contents. Acknowledging his faux pas, the Taoiseach said: 'It's the first time I've ever had to position two glasses of Guinness on a podium underneath. As I've just experienced, it's a very difficult thing to do." Raising his one unsplit Guinness, the Taoiseach opted to cheers in both Irish and Japanese, with chants of 'sláinte' and 'kanpai' ringing out throughout the room. However, earlier in the day, events went off without a hitch, with the booming sounds of Amhrán ná bhFiann ringing through the glass walls of the Kantei, the Japanese Prime Minister's official offices. The Taoiseach had to try and hide his smile as he walked into the sweltering offices of the Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, clearly loving every moment of the pomp and ceremony of the place. Soldiers and officers from the 302nd Military Police Company raised and lowered their bayonetted rifles with precision, with booming slams as the butts of the guns hit the floor in time. It's not Micheál Martin's first rodeo in Japan, having visited the country four times previously. The meeting with Mr Ishiba was cordial, with gathered diplomats and officials having donned green ties for the occasion. White-gloved attendants were sure to lash out cups of green tea, which the Prime Minister had been made aware is the Taoiseach's drink of choice, for each guest. It was reported back that the Prime Minister opted to pump in Irish music during the meeting, with Enya among the artists played in the background. Glasses of Guinness and sake were available during the working lunch, with options of colcannon and sashimi also available. Media were carefully corralled into the meeting room and were put under strict orders not to record the bilateral with their smartphones, leaving the photographers and cameramen alone to capture the moment. It was striking, however, to see the comparatively few women on the Japanese delegation compared to the Irish one. Just one woman could be seen on the Japanese side, compared with five, not including the translator, attending for Ireland. Opening of Ireland House Mr Ishiba congratulated the Taoiseach on the opening of Ireland House – the new home of Ireland's embassy in Tokyo – three years on from Mr Martin turning the sod on the site. A comparatively short turnaround time compared to many projects built at home, where cost overruns and delays are more typical. This was put to the Taoiseach, but he pushed back firmly, saying projects that run on time and on budget generally don't get the same level of coverage. Unlike the money pit that is the National Children's Hospital, or the Cork Event Centre, where a brick has yet to be laid despite sods being turned almost a decade ago. There was plenty of pomp and circumstance as the opening kicked off, with VIP guests like Princess Takamado of the Japanese Royal Family and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hisayuki Fujii. Glasses of Guinness or Asahi were doled out to guests, while the Toyota Ceilí Band played sweetly in the background. Kozo Toyota, who starred in an ad for Smithwicks Ale in recent months, had his flute while Ria Adachi, a 15-year old harp prodigy, played alongside him. The Taoiseach singled Ms Adachi out in his speech, praising her for taking home gold in the under-15 category of Harp Slow Airs at the 2024 Fleadh Ceoil in Wexford, the first Japanese person to win. Read More Taoiseach and Japanese prime minister pledge to deepen economic and trade links
Irish Daily Mirror
30-06-2025
- Health
- Irish Daily Mirror
Full list of names considered for National Children's Hospital comes to light
Names considered for the new National Children's Hospital included 'The Acorn', 'The Pearl' and the 'All Ireland Children's Hospital', the Irish Mirror can reveal. The full list of all 18 names considered for the new National Children's Hospital before settling on 'National Children's Hospital Ireland' has finally been released. Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill confirmed last week that the name of the beleaguered hospital, built on the grounds of St James' Hospital in Dublin, had been chosen for its simplicity. As reported by the Irish Mirror, the cost involved with the naming process was €4,500 and was decided "with the support of a specialist branding agency". Following several queries to the Department of Health, it has now released the full list of considered names to the Irish Mirror. Despite initially stating that 17 names were on the shortlist, it has now transpired that there were 18, including versions of the final name. All of the names considered include the words "Children's Hospital Ireland". The Department of Health stated that the list was "produced" and "reflected the purpose, place, physical structure/design, and connectivity to the social environment". The Kernal Children's Hospital Ireland The Acorn Children's Hospital Ireland Silverbridge Children's Hospital Ireland The Dolphin Children's Hospital Ireland The Wellspring Children's Hospital Ireland Farelight Children's Hospital Ireland The Pearl Children's Hospital Ireland The Grove / Bower Children's Hospital Ireland Rainbow Children's Hospital Ireland Rialto Children's Hospital Ireland Lumina Children's Hospital Ireland Solas Children's Hospital Ireland Summit Children's Hospital Ireland National Children's Hospital / Ireland National Children's Hospital The Central Children's Hospital Leanaí Linn Ireland's National Children's Hospital Senior Government sources told the Irish Mirror that they wanted to ensure that the word "Ireland" was in the name so that it would be clear where doctors were working when they were representing the hospital abroad. They further wanted to "capture" that it was a "Children's hospital in the name" as "international patients and doctors need to differentiate". There had been calls for the hospital to be named after Irish patriot and medic Dr Kathleen Lynn. The Irish Mirror understands that "Leanaí Linn" was the name considered to honour the 1916 Rising stalwart. She co-founded a children's hospital in Dublin in 1919. Saint Ultan's Children's Hospital closed in the 1980s when it merged with the National Children's Hospital on Harcourt Street. This was later relocated to Tallaght. The government did not oppose a Seanad motion, brought forward by Fianna Fáil's Mary Fitzpatrick in May 2023, to name the hospital after her. Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh then submitted a Bill to the Dáil in April 2025 to name the hospital after Dr Lynn. The Bill was not opposed by the Government, but it has not yet progressed through the legislative process. Senator Fitzpatrick took aim at Minister Carroll MacNeill for "wasting public funds" and "ignoring political consensus" over the name. However, the Irish Mirror understands the process took place in 2024 when Ms Fitzpatrick's Fianna Fáil colleague Stephen Donnelly was still in office. The Department of Health confirmed that the methodology for coming up with names focused on "engagement and inclusivity, being mindful of the history and lessons learnt and 'time and cost-effectiveness". They added: "The naming process centred on stakeholder interviews, lessons-learned analysis, and rigorous assessments of the extensive information captured through the previous naming project to reflect CHI's values, vision, mission, the hospital's international and national context, and what the new children's hospital means to its many stakeholders."
Irish Daily Mirror
27-06-2025
- Health
- Irish Daily Mirror
Fianna Fáil senator slates Health Minister over Children's Hospital name
A Fianna Fáil senator has accused Fine Gael Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill of 'wasting public funds' and 'ignoring political consensus' over the naming of the new National Children's Hospital. Mary Fitzpatrick also accused Minister Carroll MacNeill of a 'failure of judgment'. It is one of the first times in this new Government that a politician has publicly condemned one of their coalition colleagues. As reported by the Irish Mirror earlier this week, €4,500 was spent on the decision to name the new National Children's Hospital the 'National Children's Hospital Ireland.' This was one of 17 names suggested for the hospital with 'the support of a specialist branding agency'. Minister Carroll MacNeill stated that the name was chosen because it would be "the simplest thing for a stressed-out parent in difficult circumstances'. She also acknowledged that many had called for the hospital to be called after Dr Kathleen Lynn. However, she said she will engage with the Youth Advisory Committee in the National Children's Hospital Ireland to see if a wing or an auditorium could be named in her honour. Fianna Fáil Senator Mary Fitzpatrick has now slated Minister Carroll MacNeill over the fact that the hospital was not named after Dr Lynn, a medic and 1916 Rising participant. She said: '€4,500 was spent on consultants just to ignore a name the Oireachtas had already backed. That's not just wasteful, it's dismissive. 'Let's be honest, the name we've been given could belong to any hospital in any country. We had a chance to give it real meaning and the Minister passed. 'This wasn't a fringe idea. It had political support from Government and opposition. The Minister didn't just sidestep it, she overruled it. 'We didn't need branding consultants to tell us what the country had already decided. We needed leadership, and we didn't get it. 'This was a real chance to connect a state-of-the-art hospital with a name rooted in public service, care, and courage. 'Instead, the Minister chose something forgettable and spent public money to do it. That's not just a lost opportunity. It's a failure of judgment.' The Government did not oppose a Seanad Motion in May 2023 to name the hospital after Dr Lynn, who co-founded a children's hospital in Dublin in 1919. Saint Ultan's Children's Hospital closed in the 1980s when it merged with the National Children's Hospital on Harcourt Street. This was later relocated to Tallaght. The motion was brought forward by Senator Fitzpatrick and Catherine Ardagh, who is now a TD. Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh then submitted a Bill to the Dáil in April 2025 to name the hospital after Dr Lynn. The Bill was not opposed by the Government but has not progressed through the legislative process. The Irish Mirror contacted a spokesperson for Minister Carroll MacNeill for comment. We have also repeatedly asked the Department of Health for confirmation of all names considered for the National Children's Hospital but have yet to receive a response. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week
The Irish Sun
25-06-2025
- Health
- The Irish Sun
Minister backs ‘brand new team' at scandal-hit CHI to take over €2bn Children's Hospital & makes ‘bigger issues' vow
HEALTH Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has expressed confidence in the 'refreshed team' at scandal-hit CHI to take over the €2 billion National Children's Hospital. Top executives from 1 Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has expressed confidence in the new team at CHI Credit: PA The The latest scandal to hit CHI has seen the Last week, several members of the Health Committee said they did not have confidence in CHI to take on the new National Children's Some members of the Committee singled out former CEO Eilish Hardiman – who is now in the new position of Strategic Programme Director at CHI – for criticism as she was in charge when these scandals occurred. READ MORE IN IRISH NEWS She told the Irish Sun: 'Lucy Nugent is a new CEO who is there since February which is a very short period. 'She has hired a deputy CEO who is due to start very shortly in the next couple of weeks and a new COO who has just started and whose first task will be looking at the bigger issues in the hospital like productivity on scoliosis lists. 'So that is a brand new team.' Most read in The Irish Sun The Minister also highlighted that she is in the process of 'refreshing the board' at CHI with two new members appointed recently and another two new members due to be appointed in the coming days. The Minister met with CHI CEO Lucy Nugent earlier this week to discuss the move to the new Heartbreaking footage of Harvey Sherratt in pain amid scoliosis surgery wait hell Speaking as she attended the World Tobacco Control Conference in 'I feel I have appointed two new board members in the last number of weeks, I appointed two when I came in as Minister for Health and I will appoint two more in the coming days. 'So there is a very different and very refreshed team at executive and at Board level.' Our Kids Can't Wait Campaign WAITING lists in Ireland have long been a national disgrace. More than 106,000 children are on hospital waiting lists for all treatments. However, a new source of shame has emerged as 327 children wait for life changing spinal surgeries. Their conditions are getting worse while they languish on waiting lists. Such are the delays, many child patients will be outside the therapeutic window when their treatments are approved. Earlier this month, the Seanad heard how at least one child has become permanently paralysed since the issue was raised publicly before Christmas. Their plight has been spearheaded by campaigning Senator Tom Clonan, who himself has a child with a disability. Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has even admitted that the health service is failing these kids. Children are being allowed to deteriorate due to mismanagement, which has allowed the waiting lists to grow. The Irish Sun's Kids Can't Wait campaign aims to shine a light on how the State is failing sick children and give their families a voice. It will also force the Government to do something to clear the backlog of operations and give these children a chance of living a normal life. Pressed on former CEO Hardiman remaining at CHI, the Minister was guarded. Asked if it was appropriate for Hardiman to remain at CHI, the Minister said: 'I recognise that is a process that predates me and that was the subject of an industrial relations exercise so it is not for me to speak on that any further. 'But what I will emphasise is that my relationship and the governance relationship is between me, the Board and the CEO.'
