The cost of developing Ireland's new National Children's Hospital is continuing to escalate from its original estimate of €650 million.

The contractor building the new facility, which is currently priced at €1.73 billion, has submitted new claims for further additional costs.

Sinn Féin health spokesperson Deputy Louise O'Reilly has hit out at the recent updates, urging the government to not allow the hospital to become a "cash cow" for the construction industry.

Teachta O'Reilly said: "The costs of the construction of the vitally needed new National Children's Hospital have been a serious cause for concern for nearly a year now.

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"In recent weeks there have been a number of worrying reports of further cost escalation on the project.

"Indeed, there have also been a number of high-profile resignations from the development board of the hospital over the past number of weeks and months, and some reports suggested these were possibly due to more spiralling cost overruns.

"The news this evening that further additional costs have been submitted by the contractor are further proof of the governments failures in managing to contain the costs of the project.

"When I raised the matter of overspending with the Taoiseach today he seemed to think this was normal behaviour of which the State could do nothing about – nothing could be further from the truth.

"These claims need to be validated as quickly as possible and the government need to get a handle on the spending on the hospital because it cannot be allowed to be a cash cow for the construction industry."

The National Children's Hospital is scheduled to open in April 2023.

(CM/JG)