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Hilary Benn wins with a big majority in his South Leeds constituency and is on course to become the new secretary of state for Northern Ireland. Alamy Stock Photo

Who is Hilary Benn, the new Secretary of State for Northern Ireland?

Benn previously said he would ‘repeal and replace’ the controversial Troubles’ Legacy Bill.

LAST UPDATE | 5 Jul 2024

VETERAN LABOUR MP Hilary Benn was comfortably re-elected in the Leeds South constituency, taking home a 54% share of the vote.

Benn has held that seat since 1999, and is the son of Tony Benn, who was also a veteran MP who held the seat at Westminster for 47 of the 51 years between 1950 and 2001.

However, Hilary Benn (70) did not inherit all the beliefs of his father and once described himself as a “Benn, but not a Bennite”.

While his father Tony, who died in 2014, was an anti-war campaigner, Hilary Benn supported the Iraq war while serving in Tony Blair’s government and later defied then-leader Jeremy Corbyn to back military action against the Islamic State in Syria.

Hilary Benn was Secretary of State for International Development from 2003-2007 under Blair and was Labour’s Shadow Foreign Secretary from 2015-2016.

He lost this role after a failed coup against then-leader Corbyn in 2016.

Following a reshuffle of the Labour Shadow Cabinet last September, Benn was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Today, he was appointed as the Government’s Secretary for Northern Ireland.

northern-ireland-shadow-secretary-hilary-benn-during-a-press-conference-at-parliament-buildings-at-stormont-after-meetings-with-the-five-main-ni-political-parties-picture-date-tuesday-october-3-202 Hilary Benn pictured at Stormont last year after meetings with the five main NI political parties. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

This appointment was welcomed by Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie, who said it was “an indication of the importance (Starmer) places on Northern Ireland”.

It’s highly likely Benn will continue in this role with Labour in power.

Troubles Legacy Act

On 1 May, the new Troubles Legacy Act came into effect in the North, something Amnesty International labelled “complete affront to justice”.

The Act resulted in new civil litigation being barred, while inquests into Troubles deaths which had not concluded oral hearings have been stopped.

The PSNI will no longer have responsibility for investigating unsolved crimes relating to the Troubles and those investigations have switched to a new commission – the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR).

The body has taken on the remit to investigate hundreds of unresolved legacy deaths and cases of serious harm which happened before the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

Benn said he would retain this body but wanted to see if it could command the confidence of victims’ families.

Benn said a Labour government would restore legacy inquests and the ability for Troubles victims to bring civil cases.

He added that Labour would not scrap a new truth recovery body set up to investigate unresolved Troubles deaths, but wanted to see if it could command the confidence of victims’ families.

Benn told BBC Radio Ulster that the Act is “painful” for victims’ families and that it marked a “door being slammed shut in their faces”.

He added that a Labour Government would remove a controversial part of the Act designed to provide conditional immunity for some Troubles offences.

That element of the Act has already been struck out after it was ruled unlawful by the High Court in Belfast, although the UK Government began an appeal against that ruling last month.

Benn said he would restore civil cases and inquests.

He added that he wanted to go back to the approach to legacy set out in the Stormont House Agreement which envisaged separate bodies for information recovery and investigations.

“The fundamental problem with the Legacy Act, which is supposed to deliver for families, is that families do not have confidence in it,” said Benn.

“If you have a system that doesn’t command confidence then you have a problem which needs to be fixed.”

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51 Comments
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    Mute Gerard Carey
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 9:44 PM

    BAM should never be given another contract ever again.
    Cowboys.

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    Mute Shaun Gallagher
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 9:50 PM

    @Gerard Carey: I think they have that new bridge from Down to Louth coming up

    145
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    Mute P. V. Aglue
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 10:23 PM

    @Gerard Carey: it was never going to be 650 million, if Casement park is going to cost 500 million for a few stands around 3acres of grass. The rugby ball shape of the hospital was a bad design. Curves add a hell of lot in extra costs and waste space.

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    Mute 9QRixo8H
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 10:33 PM

    @Gerard Carey: but the party who mismanaged it can freely avoid criticism? If it was any other party they’d never recover for this mass misspend

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    Mute Oh Mammy
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 11:26 PM

    @P. V. Aglue: the hospital started long before the casement park issue. Casement park is 500m because they saw what one could get away with when looking at the hospital. Burn Khalifa approx 1.5 b. That should be the mark.

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    Mute Oh Mammy
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 11:27 PM

    @Oh Mammy: *Burj

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    Mute Christopher Fealy
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    Sep 24th 2024, 4:03 AM

    @Gerard Carey: I agree .but from day one . How come no bill of quantities ect ect along with the drawings all put together in a tender package and sent to contractors in the EU. .like u build a new block of 50 houses / appartments ect. A factory , a shopping centre and a bill of quantity is provided by the QS to go with the drawings at tender process and then every contractor is pricing on the same bill of Quantity.. don’t forget broadband contract, and the bike shed. And certain people now director’s of certain companies

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    Mute Teetotal4now
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    Sep 24th 2024, 5:49 AM

    @P. V. Aglue: Agreed that it was never going to be but a stipulation that the cost should be no more than, e.g., twice that agreed should have been in place is a no-brainier.

    To allow a provider free rein to take as long and charge as much as they like for a central requirement of health policy is beyond lax and flies in the face of standard procurement procedures. To be playing the concerned card by govt now is a joke.

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    Mute Teetotal4now
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    Sep 24th 2024, 6:07 AM

    @Teetotal4now: Also, for government to theoretically allow contracts to those who have previously not delivered is separate to and distinct from actually awarding the contract to that provider.

    Complete fudge by Martin.

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    Mute ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere
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    Sep 24th 2024, 7:14 AM

    @P. V. Aglue: But uit was BAM that quoted €650 million.

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    Mute James Brennan
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    Sep 24th 2024, 8:41 AM

    @Christopher Fealy: they put the tender out without the final design and fit-out requirements , which meant whom ever got the contract had a blank cheque. Also if Bam or any other contractor fails to win a government contract, under the EU rules of procurement they can challenge the awarding of the tender in court. Simple fact should be, if contractor ‘A’ is doing a project for the government, and a new contract is up for tender, rules should state if the first project, will over lap the start of the second contract, then contractor ‘A’ must be excused for the tender process, it may get projects done in the agreed time frame

    33
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    Mute Frank Cauldhame
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    Sep 24th 2024, 1:33 PM

    @Gerard Carey: The leaders of this country made the shocking decision to build this hospital in Dublin city rather than a green field site somewhere off the M50 and they were badly represented when negotiating the cost (I’d love to play poker with the cabinet, I’d be rich I tells ye) and people are alarmed that supposedly experienced politicians from the ruling FF @ FG got rode by a private company.

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    Mute John Moore
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    Sep 25th 2024, 12:09 AM

    @Shaun Gallagher: Lol. It says that in the article. They were also awarded the contract to develop Waterford city Quays in 2022. It’s crazy. I understand these things have to go out to tender but surely you can then pick who you want. Otherwise we are just in a never ending loop where BAM, one construction company give a lowball figure for a large project, take it so far so there is no turning back and keep jacking up the cost as they go. It’s like writing them a blank cheque and they seem willing to maximise it to the hilt. Now we are being told we have to keep selecting them for projects. Rules at EU level need to change on this fast. That said I see the build of a hospital in Dunedin in New Zealand has run into a similar fiasco so construction companies are at it worldwide coupled with civil service incompetence.

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    Mute Bryan
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 10:05 PM

    This is a strange move from the government. They’ve never been so aggressively appalled by the children’s hospital before. It’s all been “oh but it’ll be worth it in the end” commentary from them….. A massive coincidence of course that they spent €350,000 on a bike shed and got found out merely a couple of weeks ago. Champion deflecting.

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    Mute Anthony Curran
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 10:41 PM

    @Bryan: Champion deflecting alright. But don’t forget there’s a general election on the horizon. They’ve got to try to make out like they’re holding BAM accountable! Too little, too late.

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    Mute Mick Duvanny
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    Sep 24th 2024, 7:23 AM

    @Bryan: The government weren’t involved in the 350k spend on the bike shed. They also didn’t manage the children’s hospital build project

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    Mute marklars81
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    Sep 24th 2024, 8:18 AM

    @Mick Duvanny: I’m sorry but if public money is being spent it’s being spent by the government. You may need to look up a bit but the accountability will fall at the feet of the government.

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    Mute Uí Braonáin
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    Sep 24th 2024, 10:26 AM

    @Bryan: More words. These lads are experts at words. The government knew about BAM’s habit about not paying their sub-contractors during their Courthouse contracts before they were given this contract and did nothing. They knew about BAM’s behaviour with Cork’s ‘Event Centre’ which is exactly the same as what they’re doing with the Children’s hospital but instead of throwing tax-payers money at them they downgraded the Event Centre to apartments…and continued to give them contracts.

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    Mute Bryan
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    Sep 24th 2024, 6:12 PM

    @Mick Duvanny: So no member of government signs the cheques for these projects. Do you pay for things you’re not involved in Mick? I have to admit if I was paying for something, I’d insist I was involved in it.

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    Mute sean weir
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    Sep 24th 2024, 11:45 PM

    @Anthony Curran: they should be holding the board to account

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    Mute Brian
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 9:57 PM

    This is sheer lunacy.. On one hand you have the Taoiseach, Tanaiste and government minister admitting openly and in the Dail as a matter of public record, that a company is holding the state to ransom to the tune of 100s of million if not billions of euro but on the other hand it’s not ‘ appropriate’ for them to get involved in the awarding of STATE contracts.. ffs this shower need to sling their hook.. thats BAM and FFG .. what an absolute shambles of a government.

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    Mute Éamonn O'Kane
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    Sep 24th 2024, 10:40 AM

    @Brian: if the government especially ministers are involved, you will claim they are lining their mates pockets.

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    Mute KL M
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 9:57 PM

    After the fiasco with the Cork Opera house,they should have been banned for life. Also other EU countries consider past performance so it’s just am excuse to blame EU. I know of a builder who abandoned an estate and left local council to clean up the mess only to take up a new contract building houses for the same council

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    Mute Brian
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 10:30 PM

    @KL M: And the convention centre .. they’ll get it built eventually.. but a decade and millions over budget. Talk about cowboy builders.. https://www.corkbeo.ie/news/local-news/construction-crews-seen-working-cork-29308285

    104
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    Mute Be Lucky
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 9:45 PM

    Lebanon death toll rises to 492 in Israeli strikes, including 35 children.

    Should read
    Lebanon murder toll rises to 492 in Israeli strikes, including 35 children.

    198
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    Mute Brian
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 10:01 PM

    @Be Lucky: I’m sure the Isreali government/IDF would be heartbroken if that death toll were to include Irish peacekeeping forces at some stage.. they hold us in such high regard..

    77
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    Mute Ciaran O Donoghue
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 10:15 PM

    @Be Lucky: They can just murder as many civilians as they like and absolutely nothing done about it, no sanctions, just condemnation which does phuck all.

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    Mute Larry Betts
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 10:16 PM

    @Be Lucky: These modern day nazi murderers should be barred from every trade agreement from now on. Sickening.

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    Mute Alex
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 10:22 PM

    @Larry Betts: Hamas and Hezbollah are indeed the modern day Nazi.

    47
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    Mute Ciaran O Donoghue
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 10:24 PM

    @Alex: Google what the word Nazi means.

    50
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    Mute Pat Hazzard
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 10:30 PM

    @Ciaran O Donoghue: Hamas and Hezbollah are modern day Nazis

    33
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    Mute Brian
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 10:42 PM

    @Pat Hazzard: Isreal are commiting genocide..They are now a terrorist state commiting terrorist acts. You supportqq far right extrimists like Smotrich and Ben-Givr headed by the war monger Netheyatu on their blood thirsty rampage.. even your own dear leader can see that ‘ Pat ‘.

    86
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    Mute Sean Griffin
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    Sep 24th 2024, 12:10 AM

    @Ciaran O Donoghue: Absolutely. Just because Hezbollah has fired over 8,000 rockets into Israel since October 7th, what gives Israel the right to respond like that.

    22
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    Mute Ciaran O Donoghue
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    Sep 24th 2024, 12:28 AM

    @Sean Griffin: Iron dome. Also, there’s rules of warfare.

    17
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    Mute ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere
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    Sep 24th 2024, 7:23 AM

    @Sean Griffin: israel was created by driving the Palestinian off their land by terrorism.

    israel was created by terrorists.

    israel has continued to terroriser that entire region since.

    Justice demands that israel ceases to be, that Palestine is restored to the Palestinian and that the israeli is held accountable for their crimes against humanity.

    25
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    Mute James Brennan
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    Sep 24th 2024, 9:03 AM

    @ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: do your research, there has always be at least 43 (yes 43) Jewish villages in that region. Having the Jewish people there only became an issuse after the creation of the state of Israel, the two state solution was agreed twice in the history of that region and both times the Palestinian ‘leaders’ pulled out. Look at Yasser Aaraf and the millions he hid from his people, the 1993 olso accords, Israel agreed to pay the vat of purchases by Palestinians to Palestine , that money went directly in Yassers bank account. He also funded serveral militant gruops, while publicly stateing Israel has the right to exist. While we cant condone the response from Israel, but when you neighbours are not interested in peace, you end up with the mess we have today

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    Mute H Woo
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    Sep 24th 2024, 1:13 PM

    @Be Lucky:
    HAMAS need to do the decent think and surrender in order to stop the death of civilians.
    Like our guys did in 1916.

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    Mute H Woo
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    Sep 24th 2024, 1:32 PM

    @ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere:
    Jordan is a occupier of Palistine land maybe they should hand it back.

    1
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    Mute chris gaffney
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    Sep 24th 2024, 10:55 PM

    @Ciaran O Donoghue: Disney land!!

    1
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    Mute Shaun Gallagher
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 9:50 PM

    Does this man ever stop talking and actually do something

    230
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    Mute 9QRixo8H
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 10:27 PM

    And if it was any other party that spent over 2 billion for one hospital there would be uproar from all others and they’d never recover

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    Mute Spanner
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 11:12 PM

    @9QRixo8H: remember Labour in government with ff. We didn’t like the actions of that government and punished Labour at the next elections and Flicking Failures sailed on with no lessons learned and the We did the same with the greens. We the voters don’t learn and still vote the same people in time and time again. Those tds who will have stepped aside next time are doing so to give the electorate a chance to continue voting the parties under the impression it’s a new td but they will act the same way. We never learn and are gullible for ever believing the stom they peddle and we’re afraid of change no matter the consequences.

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    Mute Spanner
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 11:13 PM

    @Spanner: Is it any wonder they treat us like dopes

    44
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    Mute ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere
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    Sep 24th 2024, 7:26 AM

    @Spanner: Labour decided that they wanted to punish the poorer parts of society and the most vulnerable in the most vicious way.

    They deserved to be savaged.

    They should never get another vote from the people ever again.

    22
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    Mute H Woo
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    Sep 24th 2024, 1:28 PM

    @Shaun Gallagher:
    Stop asking him questions and let him get on with it.

    1
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    Mute Spanner
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    Sep 24th 2024, 5:00 PM

    @Spanner: it’s beyond time but I fear the bogie man that is the opposition looms large so people won’t give them a chance.

    1
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    Mute Spanner
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    Sep 24th 2024, 5:58 PM

    @ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere: that’s not in doubt it was a shocking thing for a party who claims to represent the ordinary guy but we punished the smaller parties while the other 2 dtrundle along. They (ffg) need to know that people have had enough of waste, spin, broken promises and all their other shenanigans

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    Mute GoodBrother
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 10:17 PM

    Price could rise to 3 million and still you’ll read “FG surge in the polls”.

    It feels like there is no hope.

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    Mute Pat Hazzard
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 10:31 PM

    @GoodBrother: there is hope for our democracy as SF/IRA continue their downward spiral

    23
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    Mute ItWasLikeThatWhenIGotHere
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    Sep 24th 2024, 7:32 AM

    @Pat Hazzard: Hope for our democracy?

    So you believe that FFG have not been democratic, but might someday be?

    35
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    Mute P M
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 10:01 PM

    I seem to remember BAM have been awarded the contract for new rail between cork city and Middletown? I can’t remember the details of the actual track work but I wondered how this happened with the debacle unfolding in the Children’s Hospital. No joined up thinking yet again.

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    Mute Frank
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    Sep 24th 2024, 3:15 PM

    @P M: civil service/ NHS incompetence, making design changes after the contract award is a major factor in the cost overrun. This is underlined by the court’s recommendation in the ongoing litigation. In any building project you need to freeze any design changes before construction begins if you want to control costs.

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    Mute Michale Kane
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    Sep 24th 2024, 12:49 AM

    Simon Harris was health minister in 2019 when the national children’s hospital contract was signed, he then brought down last Gov when caught trying to hide the huge increase in costs. But as per the FG way, these failures are rewarded instead of punished and Simon becomes leader after Leo runs away.

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    Mute Paul Gorry
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    Sep 24th 2024, 1:05 AM

    @Michale Kane: And now running around like tarzan trying to find jane.

    56
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    Mute Regular John
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    Sep 24th 2024, 5:13 AM

    @Michale Kane:
    Simon & Leo – two absolute wimps both useless as ministers and leaders.

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    Mute Brian Keelty
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 9:44 PM

    And these less than adequate politicians have let them do so….. bring on the election so we can vote them back into power…. to define stu p1d1ty perfectly…… a century of it to be precise.

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    Mute Peter Byrne
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 11:51 PM

    @Brian Keelty: you should in the elections

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    Mute Derek Moran
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 10:31 PM

    They should have an investigation into this. It might cost a few hundred million but be so worth it.
    And maybe start recruiting for the investigation into the mishandling of the 13 billion euro that will also inevitably happen.

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    Mute David E
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 10:35 PM

    Can’t wait to see how much the “60 million” cross border bridge comes in at.

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    Mute Anthony Curran
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 10:52 PM

    @David E: At this stage, I’d give the contract to Lyle Lanley before I’d give it to BAM.

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    Mute Treasa Kerrigan
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    Sep 24th 2024, 6:24 AM

    The children’s hospital should have been built in Blanchardstown, on a greenfield site, that’s accessible by parents travelling from all over the country. Would have been finished by now at a fraction of the cost.

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    Mute H Woo
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    Sep 24th 2024, 1:22 PM

    @Treasa Kerrigan:
    How do you know

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    Mute Paddy Short
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 11:32 PM

    There should be a fast tracked high level audit of the current state of progress and expenditure of the NCH project.

    If the audit shows evidence of corruption then they should begin to investigate immediately while there is evidence to gather, while there is people directly involved present to interview, instead of a half baked, pointless, toothless inquiry 10 years from now when all of the damage is done.

    The government have continuously proved that they don’t care a jot about the well-being of the regular worker, therefore they don’t care when the hospital actually opens, they don’t care if it was built in the wrong location, they don’t care that even if it opens in ’26 and is so mismanaged from lack of staff, beds etc that it is only semi functional for years to come – They only care about creating projects that gives them reason them to spread around taxpayers wealth, that’s how they grease the wheels, that’s where the backhanders and the favours come from, that’s how they, TD’s, get their hands on the money, it’s taken from revenue and then “laundered” through public spending system until some of it ends up back with the TD in the form of directorships,high end positions, gifts and favours.

    The next big expenditure con job will be massively increased spending on defence, global conflicts will be used to brainwash us into thinking it’s money well spent,
    huge sums of taxpayers will be channeled into it, there will likely be billions pumped into it and we will still have a DOD that could be expunged in a week. Meanwhile back in the real world housing crisis, health crisis et al will still be there, still making our lives miserable and still needing billions more to fix. Go figure.

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    Mute Tom
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 10:03 PM

    Wham, BAM, thank you Mam.
    .
    Till the next time that is.

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    Mute Oh Mammy
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 11:29 PM

    @Tom: Mam says there will be no next time.

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    Mute SV3tN8M4
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    Sep 24th 2024, 12:00 AM

    All deflection, Tender Evaluation Process is widely used & they know this, even some of the Local Authorities use it & as for the concern around the EU Procurement Regs, more deflection. These guys are clever, they have thrown it all over on BAM knowing that it will all end up in the Courts & Arbitration & take years to resolve. By that time these guys will be out the door on their mega pensions telling us they can’t comment as they are “private citizens”. The FF crooks that retired after the crash used that line. History will show that Leo Varadkar, Simon Harris, Micheal Martin, Eamon Ryan, Roderic O Gorman, Stephen Donnelly, Robert Watt, Bernard Gloster, John Cole & Fiona Ross, this mess happened on their watch. The scandal is now making world wide headlines, a failed State.

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    Mute Phillip Smyth
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 10:46 PM

    Wham BAM what a sham it’s never ending children have grown up waiting on this hospital.

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    Mute Spanner
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 11:29 PM

    @Phillip Smyth: children have grown up in the hope the government would fulfill their promises and relieve them of the multiple treatable disabilities, illnesses and assorted physical and mental health disorders that are ruining their and their families lives. We’re about to bring Palestinian children here to rightfully assist in improving their treatment but we haven’t done much to improve the lot of our own children. Given the treatment our government have shown its citizens with broken promises its not surprising the level of anger is so high in the country. Voting them out will send the best message and will beat protests everytime. It’s the only thing they fear.

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    Mute Peter Byrne
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 11:53 PM

    @Spanner: get elected, then you can sort out BAM, easy , especially silly as you already know all the answws

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    Mute Paul Gorry
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    Sep 24th 2024, 12:03 AM

    @Peter Byrne:Get elected! That’s your go to thing off late @ Peter Byrne. Please stop being a silly sausage peter..

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    Mute Spanner
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    Sep 24th 2024, 5:12 PM

    @Peter Byrne: I’ve no desire to run for election but thanks for your suggestion. I merely pointed out the broken promises made to the nations children by the current crop of politicians around camhs and scoliosis to name a few. I have no idea what can fix it but clearly the politicians don’t and neither to the permanent government and rather than admit their failings they continue with the promises that ring hollow.

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    Mute Nathalie Bellamy
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    Sep 24th 2024, 1:16 AM

    Zero accountability, keep spending the tax payers money. Lessons will be learned !
    Keep the bike sheds coming

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    Mute Robert Halvey
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 10:33 PM

    Same old same old shite, Inappropriate for the government to interfere, it’s was European rules , It’s Bams fault , We followed expert advice on where yo build it, The ffg shower of entitled wasters have trotted out the same excuses time after time and still a percentage of irsh citizens keep voting for them

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    Mute donal finn
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 11:40 PM

    It suits the weevils in government to place the blame for the overruns but the fact is, that BAM were working from incomplete drawings in the first place, and secondly, hardly a week went by but FFG kept on changing stuff that was already built. That costs money. Blame FFG, they are the real culprits here.

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    Mute H Woo
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    Sep 24th 2024, 1:19 PM

    @donal finn:
    Bam not putting enough men on site is a major reason for the delays and cost overruns

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    Mute Ahsurewhynot 1
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    Sep 25th 2024, 7:46 PM

    @donal finn: doubt it was FFG changing specs. But highly probable it was HSE and the specialists/surgeons, without any regard to a cost/benefit analysis. Sure it’s not our money so Spend Spend Spend

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    Mute Niall English
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    Sep 24th 2024, 6:49 AM

    any normal country the government would have resigned over this kind of shambles.

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    Mute H Woo
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    Sep 24th 2024, 1:25 PM

    @Niall English:
    German government did not resign over Berlins new airport.
    British goverinment did not resign over Manchesters Children’s hospital.

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    Mute AnthonyK
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    Sep 24th 2024, 6:48 AM

    There is an attitude among those awarded contracts that the government will pay anything. The children’s hospital is at one end of the trough, and at the other is the bike shed.

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    Mute Phillip Smyth
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 11:46 PM

    Our own children need to be treated, as I said children have grown out of children with illnesses they are the future of this country we must show our contempt for this failure with dialogue elected ministers need to listen it’s Billy to Jack governing.

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    Mute North Phone Bowe
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    Sep 24th 2024, 8:56 AM

    So any Joe soap applying for a job needs past employment references and character references but applying for multi million euro contracts doesn’t. Shows in whose favour rules are written!!!!

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    Mute Gavin Smartr
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    Sep 24th 2024, 8:51 AM

    The cost of building this hospital is only part of the problem. It was planned and designed wrong, built in the wrong place by the wrong builder while being overseen by the wrong people. When built and in operation all these factors are going to come back to bite these clowns. James Street is a car park most of the time but that a side issue. The fact that we will actually end up with less beds than we have at present means that the hospital is over crowded before it even opens. No matter what way ye spin this it is a massive embarrassment to us and really has spotlighted the incompetence and corruption within our government offices. The fact that it has been allowed continue is mind blowing. There seems to be absolutely nothing BAMM can do to breach this contract. Why?

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    Mute Hector turtlehead
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 11:43 PM

    Same old story. When harris is gone, same rubbish from the next taoiseach

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    Mute Peter Byrne
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 11:55 PM

    @Hector turtlehead: maye you Hextor can be our next Taoiseach

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    Mute Paul Gorry
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    Sep 24th 2024, 12:42 AM

    @Peter Byrne: Peter lickarse fffg lover Byrne. We know already,peter. Vote awwwayyyyyyy yyyyyyyy……

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    Mute Michale Kane
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    Sep 24th 2024, 12:50 AM

    @Peter Byrne: I would, but I don’t have friends who get government contracts that can lobby, support and finance my election campaign and costs for nothing at all in return.

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    Mute Paula O Brien
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 11:12 PM

    I think BAM should be called bollocks and merciless as they are screwing us

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    Mute Gerry Lamont
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    Sep 24th 2024, 8:43 AM

    Didn’t Harris sign off on this BAM deal?. If so, why is he spouting his usual rubbish?.BAM have gouged this country for years but even though they are a bunch of absolute cowboys they still get gov contracts. Until you can sack public servants for gross incompetence then nothing will ever change

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    Mute Brian O'Brendan
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 9:54 PM

    WHERES SLEVIN

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    Mute Brian O'Brendan
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 10:39 PM

    @William Slevin: My comments didn’t get deleted what are you talking about?

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    Mute Vince Cable
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 11:10 PM

    @William Slevin: Who me?

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    Mute Brian O'Brendan
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 11:23 PM

    @William Slevin: Yep

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    Mute Vince Cable
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    Sep 23rd 2024, 11:44 PM

    @William Slevin: I’m not reading all that. Slava Ukraine

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    Mute Vince Cable
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    Sep 24th 2024, 12:11 AM

    @William Slevin: So you are Honey Badger. Knew it.

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    Mute Brian O'Brendan
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    Sep 24th 2024, 12:17 AM

    @William Slevin: 30 mins I silenced you for. That’s a record. Tell me more about this legal action you’re taking against me ya fruit loop

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    Mute Mark Ryan
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    Sep 24th 2024, 6:49 AM

    “1 million useless lessons never really learned” for dummies will easily recoup this money they’ve thrown away

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    Mute Timo
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    Sep 24th 2024, 12:06 PM

    So was this hospital build package put out to tender/bid or just given these Bam Bums on day work.
    I wonder what politicians they are donating to ?
    There should be a requirement of a bond provided with the tender/bid
    Yes, there’s always gonna be some extras but not four or five times the cost of the estimated build. If the winner of the tender can’t complete, that’s where the bond company comes in.

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    Mute Sal Paradise
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    Sep 24th 2024, 1:19 PM

    Not sure we will ever find out unless full disclosure of all correspondence. BAM seem to be getting all the blame but it seems the spin machine is in full swing. Is BAM working off final plans? If not then why not? Full blame has to be with the government and not let them use BAM as a scapegoat. Obviously contracts are flimsy and are not watertight.

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    Mute Dan Murphy
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    Sep 24th 2024, 10:19 AM

    Kick bam out.

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    Mute Thomas Linehan
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    Sep 24th 2024, 5:40 PM

    The goverment surely had a project manager in the childrens hospital to see things were done right.

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    Mute Tim Oconnell
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    Sep 24th 2024, 2:15 PM

    Some mention of 24000 changes to plan ! That’s some amount of changes/ exrtas

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    Mute chris gaffney
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    Sep 24th 2024, 10:53 PM

    BAM are a private company. The problem with the NCH does not lie with BAM. It rightly should lie with the client who never gave a proper brief for the project and designed it as they went along!!! Pure and simple facts!!! It would never have happened if a private hospital had developed it because the design would have been “set in stone” to avoid exactly the problems which have happened with this project!!!!

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    Mute Damien Leahy
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    Sep 24th 2024, 1:40 PM

    I just know sf are to blame

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    Mute Jason
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    Sep 25th 2024, 9:42 PM

    Don’t pay them, sack them all, call in a new company, have them finish it at a fraction of the cost. What are they going to do? And remove their licence to operate in Ireland ever again. Simple fix.

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    Mute Minnie Mouse
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    Sep 25th 2024, 11:14 PM

    Meehole Martin is simply parading his ignorance of procurement law as a deflection from the simple fact that the planning, procurement and contract management of the NCH is a shambles. How can “past performance “ be measured? Which contracts will be looked at? Who will review them? How long would it take to review the past performance of a construction contractor? Does the review take place before, during or after the tender issues? What objective criteria would apply? Meehole!

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    Mute Steve Davis
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    Sep 24th 2024, 8:20 PM

    They followed the same rules as the bike shed…..

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    Mute H Woo
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    Sep 24th 2024, 1:07 PM

    500 million to do up Casement park. Are Shin Fein and Their mates in the DUP having a laughs

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    Mute sean weir
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    Sep 24th 2024, 11:50 PM

    @H Woo: I think you will find that the dup had no interest in spending any money on casement.
    You would know that if you were Irish

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