Completion date for children's hospital now 'unknown' amid another row as contractor BAM cannot say when prefab bathroom pods that failed fire safety compliance tests will be fixed

Published: 23:06, 22 July 2026 | Updated: 23:06, 22 July 2026 The completion date for the new National Children’s Hospital is ‘unknown’ as the main contractor BAM cannot say when bathroom pods that failed fire safety compliance tests will be fixed, the Mail can reveal. Another major row between BAM and the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board, which is in charge of the project, is set to further delay the completion of the €2.24billion hospital. A confidential memo circulated to Cabinet ministers yesterday said BAM cannot demonstrate fire safety compliance for 244 prefabricated bathroom pods already installed in the hospital. ‘This strongly suggests a further update and delay to the substantial completion date will occur’ as a time for fixing the issue is ‘unknown’, the memo says. Officials do not believe there is a fire risk, describing the issue instead as one of contractual compliance. But the memo claims BAM is ‘attempting to abdicate its responsibility’ by incorrectly claiming the pods were not a contractor design responsibility and it is a matter for the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board. The memo says ‘this is a contradiction to both the contract and the Government’s Capital Works Management Framework’. Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill informed Cabinet ministers yesterday that the timeline for completion has been revised for the 20th time in six years by BAM. The hospital was due to be completed in December 2022, but the most recent substantial completion date was set at September 30, 2026. However, ministers were told this latest issue is likely to cause further delays. The issue stems from BAM being unable to show the pods are compliant with the fire safety conditions specified in the contract to build the hospital. The memo outlines that despite ‘multiple requests’ BAM was unable to ‘demonstrate, or obtain evidence’ to confirm that the pod linings comply with agreed fire safety standards. The hospital board’s design team sought evidence of the classification of the lining material for the pods from November 2025 to May 2026. BAM informed them that it was seeking the fire certification and statement of equivalence from the Italian supplier. The memo notes that this gave the impression it was a ‘matter of outstanding paperwork’. Seven months after initially requesting certification, independent testing was conducted on sample material in the UK on July 10. On July 13, BAM ‘verbally informed’ the Employer’s Representative (ER), the independent third party responsible for administering the contract, that the initial outcome indicated ‘none of the samples had achieved the classification’ required in the contract. On July 15, the ER again asked BAM to provide a plan for remediation options and scenarios, describing it as ‘critical’ to understanding the impact on completion, but has yet to receive it. The memo notes that the Board ‘has advised that it considers that BAM did not take the matter seriously and/or considered it a risk to substantial completion until late May 2026, despite being aware of the matter months previously’. The memo describes the hospital as ‘one of the most protected buildings in Europe’ in relation to fire safety. The issue is described in the memo as not being a fire risk, but instead a failure to adhere to the terms of the contract. Ministers were told that there are three remediation options being considered. These are a complete removal of the pods and rebuilding them traditionally with stud, plasterboard and vinyl walls, or applying a fire resistant coating to the inside surfaces, or installing new fire-rated walls and ceiling inside the existing pods. A new completion date cannot be established until the issue is resolved. Officials stated that when the remedial solution options are presented, the Board ‘will fully engage with BAM to assist in any way possible to advance BAM’s resolution of the matter in a way that achieves the necessary compliance’. A spokesman for the Health Minister said: ‘BAM has a clear responsibility to ensure that the hospital is fully compliant with all building regulations and requirements of the contract. ‘Patients, their families and staff have already waited too long for this hospital. But we will not take it at anything less than the standard it needs to be. The responsibility for delivering this hospital at the standard our children deserve rests with BAM who are being paid to deliver it.’ In a statement, a BAM spokesman said the firm is working closely with the hospital board and Children’s Health Ireland to ‘deliver the hospital as quickly and safely as possible for the children of Ireland’. ‘During this 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. ‘The specification, selection and approval of products and systems, including the bathroom pods, involves multiple parties throughout the project, including the Board, and forms part of the overall design, review and certification process,’ they said. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.