The Aontú leader says Children’s Health Ireland is hiding information on costs of tech services related to the new hospital, set to be the most technically advanced in Europe.
Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín says CHI refused to give him a breakdown of contracts, tenders and expenditure related to tech services as the hospital, citing “commercial sensitivity.”
Deputy Tóibín said: “They’re hiding important information. This hospital has been plagued with cost over-runs and procurement flaws, and yet they won’t tell us what it costs to digitise the facility.
“We just had the Ianród Eireann scandal, where Irish Rail wasted €50million on an IT system that didn’t work.
“So with NCH such a shambles, it’s vital the public knows how much money we’re ploughing into this digital-first hospital, whenever it finally opens – and if it will deliver.
“It’s great it will be so technically advanced, with electronic records and AI technology and cybersecurity measures.
“But just tell the public what it costs and stop hiding behind the handy ‘commercial sensitivity’ excuse. It’s taxpayers’ money. Public trust in the project is eroded even more with a refusal to answer.
“What’s the total bill on this and can we be sure it will actually work?”
The hospital – whenever it opens its doors – will be the first public hospital in Ireland to operate a digital Electronic Health Record.
Yet CHI refused to reply to a Parliamentary Question by Deputy Tóibín on its costs.
It responded: “Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) is unable to release the information you require in relation to the contracts, tenders and expenditure associated with ICT integration due to the commercially sensitive nature of this information.”
It would not supply details on the bill to date, or the projected final costs of its Information and Communications Technology system.
When asked about an independent review to assess value for money and operational effectiveness, it said procurements were overseen by the project’s Peer Review Group.”
