Mrs Dodds said,
“I welcome the announcement that both the Belfast Trust and the Department of Health will appear before the Stormont Health Committee next week to address the serious issues surrounding the new maternity hospital at the Royal Victoria Hospital site. I have been probing this issue for more than six months and struggling to get answers.
The repeated delays, spiralling costs, and the emergence of potentially dangerous bacteria in the water pipework and issues with medical gas pipework are completely unacceptable. These failures represent a major breach of trust in how public funds have been wasted in a building project which is now and omnishambles. It is vital that the relevant decisionmakers are held accountable.
The public deserves transparency. I will continue to push for clarity on the timeline for resolving these issues. The Health Committee's scrutiny is a critical step in achieving answers. There needs to be an end of the drip-feed of information. All cards must be laid on the table. I urge all witnesses to cooperate fully.”