BAM IRELAND, THE main contractor building the new National Children\u2019s Hospital (NCH), has said it has completed 4,674 rooms (82% of the total rooms), with a further 690 rooms fully completed and awaiting design team sign-off.<\/p>\n
The figures, confirmed to The Journal, are an increase on the figures from last month, which showed that\u00a04,334 rooms or 76% of rooms had reached the contract standard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Citing those figures in a recent parliamentary question at the end of July, Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said 76% room completion rate was \u201cnot to the pace or standard we should expect\u201d.<\/p>\n
Since 28 July, BAM has increased the number of completed and signed off rooms by 340 \u2014 an average of around 108 rooms per week.<\/p>\n
If the work continues at this rate, rooms at the hospital should be completed and signed off on in around nine to 10 weeks, however, no new timeline for the completion of the hospital has been confirmed.<\/p>\n
In a statement to The Journal, BAM Ireland highlighted the updated figures, which it stated change daily.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe National Children\u2019s Hospital is the largest healthcare investment in the State\u2019s history and is in the final stages of commissioning and certification.<\/p>\n
\u201cBAM has fully completed and signed off 4,674 rooms, with a further 690 rooms fully completed and awaiting design team sign-off,\u201d said the statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It went on to state that the company is working closely with\u00a0the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board and Children\u2019s Health Ireland to deliver the hospital as \u201cquickly and safely as possible for the children of Ireland\u201d.\n<\/p>\n
Criticism of the contractors\u00a0<\/p>\n
Commenting on the July figures, the health minister has said\u00a0the contractor has continually missed its room completion targets, stating it is obvious that BAM needs to increase resources to turn that slippage around.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Apart from the room completion rate, the health minister also criticised the contractors over the ventilation system, which she said is a critical part of any hospital.<\/p>\n
The minister said the system was contributing to noise issues in clinical areas and was not accepted as being up to the contractual standards. BAM and its subcontractors are working to resolve these acoustic issues now, she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Another issue highlighted as a problem is the presence of dust in the ventilation system in the operating rooms.<\/p>\n
Approximately 40% of the ventilation system contained dust above the limits set out in the works requirements.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis arose from BAM\u2019s failure to properly protect the ventilation system during the reworking in rooms, which was required because of its failure to complete rooms to the contractual standard at first presentation to the design team. Further cleaning by BAM and its subcontractors is underway and progressing on schedule,\u201d said the health minister.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThese issues are resolvable but are problems of BAM\u2019s own making and within its control to satisfactorily rectify as quickly as possible,\u201d she added.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The bathroom pods, which are\u00a0prefabricated bathroom units installed in the hospital, have also provoked criticism.\u00a0<\/p>\n
According to the minister, BAM is responsible for providing the necessary certification and documentation for all procured elements within the hospital, including the 244 bathroom units it procured and installed in the hospital.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A potential compliance issue has arisen regarding pod certification, with the minister stating that despite repeated requests from the NPHDB design team since November 2025, BAM has not provided the required certification.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the absence of such documentation, BAM is required to undertake testing to demonstrate compliance and is now carrying out this testing,\u201d said the minister.<\/p>\n
Responsibility for resolving this matter rests with BAM, either by demonstrating compliance or implementing a credible alternative solution to achieving that compliance, she added.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In a statement to The Journal, BAM Ireland said that during the final phase of a project of this scale and complexity, it is routine for contractors to work closely with the design team to address technical queries when they arise, including by providing additional documentation, evidence or testing to support the certification process where required.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe specification, selection and approval of products and systems, including the bathroom pods, involves multiple parties throughout the project, including the NPHDB and their Design Team, and forms part of the overall design, review and certification process,\u201d it added.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Opening hospital a government priority, says minister<\/p>\n