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Irish Times
12-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Bill for new National Maternity Hospital could reach €2 billion
The new National Maternity Hospital could ultimately cost close to €2 billion to develop, senior health service figures believe. If the estimate is borne out, it would mean the bill for the maternity facility, to be constructed on the St Vincent's hospital campus at Elm Park, Dublin, would be more than 10 times the amount originally allocated when the project was announced more than a decade ago. Tenders for the building of the hospital are being examined by an evaluation group in the HSE and are expected to be given to a project board shortly. Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll McNeill will then have to bring a final business case to Cabinet later this year if the project is to receive final approval. READ MORE Senior health service figures maintain construction costs for the hospital are likely to be about €1.5 billion, or higher, and that other bills associated with developing and commissioning the facility could push the final price to some €2 billion. 'The tenders are higher than expected,' a senior individual with direct involvement in the project said. It is understood there are contingency elements included in some tenders to minimise the likelihood of a repeat of the experience with the national children's hospital. That project, which will also cost in excess of €2 billion, has experienced significant overruns and is running way behind schedule. Some sources maintained that the development of the facility on an existing hospital campus rather than a greenfield site increased costs. A rise in construction inflation, allied with uncertainty over trading conditions because of the potential impact of US tariffs, are also said to have contributed. The Irish Times also understands that the HSE will face monetary charges if any undue delay on its part in making decisions leads to additional costs or delays. In May 2013, the then minister for health, James Reilly, announced the government had agreed to commission a new facility to replace the National Maternity Hospital's ageing premises at Holles Street. Dr Reilly said an 'indicative sum' of €150 million had been approved for the project. At the time it was forecast that construction would commence in late 2016 and be completed in 2018. The project was beset by a row over governance, ethos and whether there could be restrictions on the types of services provided to women being treated there. Campaigners, including some prominent medical figures, argued it would have a Catholic ethos because of the legacy of religious control of St Vincent's, which was founded by an order of Catholic nuns. They contended that this could prevent certain treatments – legal in Ireland but not permitted under church rules – from being made available. But the government, other staff at Holles Street and authorities at St Vincent's rejected these suggestions. Ultimately a 299-year lease was secured on the site to ensure its operational and clinical independence. Over the years cost estimates for the project increased significantly. In February 2017, the HSE projected it would cost €296 million. In June 2021, the Department of Health said cost estimates had risen further to about €800 million, including €300 million for commissioning and transferring services from Holles Street.
The Guardian
18-04-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
200-1 winner Heavenly Heather kicks off Easter racing with major shock
The Easter racing programme saw a major shock at Newcastle on Good Friday as Heavenly Heather, a 200-1 chance ridden by 3lb claimer Amie Waugh, became the longest-priced winner of the year so far with a half-length success in the seven-furlong Fillies' and Mares' Championships Handicap. Waugh's mount had failed to win any of her previous five starts and was 19lb 'wrong' at the weights, meaning that Heavenly Heather raced from an effective handicap mark of 79 rather than her official rating of 60. Her rider took full advantage of her draw on the stands' side, however, and got a fine response from Heavenly Heather when she asked her to quicken against the rail a furlong from home. The winner was the 12th horse to win at 200-1 in Britain since the turn of the century, and the first at those odds since November 2024. The UK's record price for a winner is 250-1, set by Equinoctial at Kelso in November 1990. Elsewhere on the Newcastle card, Andrew Balding continued his strong start to the 2025 Flat season with a double in the first four races, but there was a setback for his stable too with the news that Sheikh Fahad al-Thani's Qatar Racing operation has removed its six horses from the yard. Balding saddled Kameko to win the 2,000 Guineas in 2020 in Qatar Racing's claret and gold colours, while Elm Park, Side Glance and New Century, a Grade One winner at Woodbine in Canada last September, also notched victories at the highest level for the owner in recent seasons. The sudden departure of Qatar Racing from the Balding yard is a surprise, not least as the trainer has had such a fine start to 2025, building an early lead in the race for the trainers' championship with 42 winners and around £700,000 in the bank before racing on Friday. In strictly numerical terms, though, the loss of half a dozen horses will scarcely be noticed at Kingsclere, where Balding now trains one of the largest strings in the country, with nearly 300 horses listed in the latest edition of Horses In Training. Balding sends four runners on the long trip from Hampshire to Musselburgh's valuable meeting on Saturday, and Wild Waves (3.35), who progressed from maiden company to a run in the St Leger during his three-year-old season, is a worthy favourite to land the £50k first prize in the Queen's Cup, the feature event on the card. Musselburgh 1.50 The three-year-old Wiltshire Lad was the penultimate winner of Sir Michael Stoute's outstanding career when successful on the all-weather at Southwell last October. Gelded since, he starts his first season for the Balding stable off a 5lb higher mark and will surely pay his way as the season develops. Haydock 2.05 Got Grey made a flying start for Dan Skelton back in the autumn but seemed to lose his way on softer ground as the season wore on. His mark has eased by 6lb in three outings as a result, however, and the return to a quicker surface here could well see a well-timed revival. Musselburgh 2.25 Jennie Candlish's Alzahir has returned to the turf in the form of his life following a wind operation earlier in the year and will take all the beating in his bid for a third straight success. Haydock 2.40 The front-running Burrows Hall is unbeaten in three starts since Danny McMenamin took over in his saddle and he could be very tough to pass again here. Musselburgh 3.00 The high-numbered stalls have a significant advantage over this five-furlong course so Jim Goldie's American Affair, the narrow winner of the Portland Handicap at Doncaster last September, has the ideal berth in box nine for his seasonal debut. He also has winning form when fresh, including a victory at this meeting last year. Haydock 3.15 Gary Hanmer has already coaxed a rich new vein of form from The Flier Begley since his switch to the stable at the start of the campaign, and the 10-year-old's victory in the Market Rasen qualifier for this veterans' event is the strongest recent form on offer.
