Politics

Varadkar staunchly defends children’s hospital timeline amid reports of setbacks

Project made headlines again follow Sinn Féin revelation of ‘major generic faults’ with half of the multimillion-euro hospital’s 22 operating theatres

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said criticism from the opposition was “an unhelpful distraction aimed at shifting the focus from the contractor and its responsibilities to others”. Picture: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has doubled down in defending the cost and timeline relating to the National Children’s Hospital amid reports that it has been hit with further setbacks.

Sinn Féin TD David Cullinane said information he has been given indicates there are “major generic faults” with half of the multimillion-euro hospital’s 22 operating theatres, which could cost tens of thousands of euro to fix and delay the project by 12 months.

He has said this ...