Speaking after raising the matter in the Health Committee with the Health Minister, Mrs Dodds said,
“I am fully in support of this new build. Initially announced in 2013 with an estimated cost of £250 million, the Permanent Secretary at the Committee today is indicating the project is now estimated to cost more than £600m but my Committee papers suggest more than £1bn.
The Permanent Secretary and Minister have committed to get further clarity on this cost.
This is a critical healthcare project. If it is now projected to exceed £1 billion that is incredible. As of February 2025, not a single sod has been cut. This is an inexcusable failure of project oversight and financial control.
There needs to be a realisation with the Civil Service that they are spending real money. There is a massive difference between £600m and £1bn. This money is not just another number on a spreadsheet. It’s the taxes of every working man and woman in Northern Ireland.
To put this in context, Northern Ireland raises £1.5 billion annually in rates. When this project was first considered, we could have built five hospitals with that funding. Now, due to spiralling costs and delays, we can barely afford one.
This is an indictment of the planning, governance, and expertise guiding major public infrastructure projects in our health service.”