Health minister thanks resigning children’s hospital project director
The health minister has thanked the project director of the National Children’s Hospital Development Board (NCHDB) for the “significant role” he played in progressing the flagship project.
John Pollock announced his intention to resign on Tuesday, less than two months after the board’s chair, Tom Costello, announced his resignation.
Mr Pollock, a civil engineer, had been in the job since August 2014 and will remain on until June.
The Department of Health said “a process will be put in place to appoint his successor”.
The department is also in the process of appointing a new chair, Fred Barry.
A spokesperson said that Health Minister Simon Harris intends to bring a Memo for Information to Government, following which Mr Barry will be formally appointed as chairperson by the minister”.
The board has had a succession of chairs. In 2010, the first chair, Philip Lynch resigned citing “significant and fundamental differences” with then health minister Mary Harney over the choice of the Mater Hospital site for the children’s hospital. The Mater site was subsequently ruled out by An Bord Pleanála.
Mr Lynch’s successor, businessman John Gallagher, lasted less than six months, after questioning if he had any mandate.
Tom Costello was appointed in January 2013, but resigned in February after it emerged the cost of building the hospital had escalated by €450 in the space of four months last year. Construction costs increased from €987m in 2017 to more than €1.4bn.
The department said with the project on St James's Hospital campus is now moving into the final phases of construction, and that “Mr Pollock indicated his belief that this is an opportune point for him to move from the project”.
The seven-storey above ground works for the hospital began in January 2019.
Mr Pollock said in a statement that he was “very proud of what has been achieved”.
