Work on the new National Children's Hospital in Dublin will resume on Monday, the construction contractor BAM has confirmed.
Construction hasn't resumed at the site of the €1.7 billion hospital since all construction work was halted in March due to COVID-19.
While work has since resumed on most other construction sites in the country, construction at the site of the new hospital had stalled amid a dispute over the extra costs of introducing social distancing on site.
The construction firm earlier today warned of "significant delays" and increased costs due to public health restrictions, claiming that delays will continue until there is a COVID-19 vaccine "widely available".
In an update this evening, BAM confirmed work will now resume from Monday.
The firm said: "It does this in good faith, following robust communication with the Board and in the interest of completing the project as quickly and economically as possible.
"Work will recommence with the safety of all stakeholders as the top priority and with full implementation of the Government’s mandatory COVID-19 restrictions.
"We look forward to a successful resumption and getting this vital project moving, notwithstanding all of the challenges that are not of our making”.
'Get back on site'
A number of senior members of the Government had earlier called for the contractor to get back on the site and resume work.
Speaking in Dublin this afternoon ahead of BAM's announcement, Taoiseach Michael Martin said work should start immediately.
He said: "If they have the interests of the children of Ireland, they should get back on the site and start building.
"I'm fed up of claim and counter-claim - I'm saying to people get back on the site and start working.
"I'm quite annoyed at what has transpired here, in the sense that why is the children's hospital site one of the few - if only - site that work hasn't recommenced on."
Mr Martin insisted that people have got back to building on construction sites all around the country, and it was "unacceptable" what has happened in this case.
Health Minister Stephen Donnelly told The Hard Shoulder that the situation is "deeply, deeply frustrating" - adding that he believes the project is "the single most important building project this country has ever seen".
He argued: "We want the contractor back on site.
"What I want and the Government wants is the contractor back on site, immediately, in full, and building the hospital.
"Ultimately this is about children getting a hospital, and no more delays to that."
