Taoiseach Leo Varadkar admitted in the Dail yesterday that the contractor for the National Children's Hospital had submitted claims for more money.

The claims have yet to be adjudicated on.

The project is currently costing €1.7 billion - almost three times the original expected cost.  And yet it seems to be going up further.

Paul Davis is a procurement expert with the School of Business in DCU and he joined Ivan this evening's edition of the Hard Shoulder.

Ivan was also keen to ask Dr Davis when we would see a contract officially signed for national broadband, and whether EU law will allow it.