Wicklow TD Hits Out At Government Over Children's Hospital Delays.

The Government is being directly blamed for the delay to the opening of the National Children's Hospital.

It emerged over the weekend the hospital will not open until 2026 at the earliest.

With an original cost at an estimated 650 million 9 years ago, that figure has risen to 2.2 billion after consistent delays with the final cost not yet known.

Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore says children have waited too long for the hospital.

Meanwhile the Taoiseach has defended controversial comments from the Health Minister about the National Children's Hospital.

In a letter to the senior government figures, his constituency colleague Stephen Donnelly accused the contractor, BAM, of trying to extract "as much money from the Irish taxpayer as possible".

BAM has hit back, describing the claim as "misleading, ill-informed and incorrect".