Work on the new National Children’s Hospital is to cease due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Construction continued this week, despite the Government’s call for all non-essential workers to remain at home until Easter Sunday at the earliest.

On Saturday, officials published a list of essential services that could continue to operate through the lockdown.

The list includes construction on essential health projects relevant to the fight against COVID-19 – but made no mention of wider State projects.

In a statement this afternoon, construction firm BAM said it had received “clarification” that the National Children’s Hospital project is not considered essential to the outbreak response.

It insisted that it had “followed all official Government and HSE guidelines in relation to the operation of its sites in recent weeks” and has kept the “welfare of its staff and contractors as its top priority.”

It said it had sought clarification on the hospital project “over a number of days” and has now ceased construction.

The company is continuing “separate COVID-19 related work” at St James’s Hospital.

It is also completing some “essential motorway maintenance,” which is permitted under the guidelines.

It said it is “operating to the strictest of safety procedures for all workers” at the sites that are still operating.