Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Pat Breen today welcomed over 200 construction companies to Enterprise Ireland’s ‘Meet the Buyer’ event for the construction of the new children’s hospital. In association with the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board, the business event took place at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham this morning.

A total of 350 attendees from over 200 construction, engineering, mechanical and electrical companies from all over Ireland registered for the event, availing of the opportunity to pitch for business to the new children’s hospital contractors – BAM Building Ltd, Jones Engineering Group and Mercury Engineering Ireland.

Face-to-face meetings between the buyers and potential suppliers were held in a ‘speed dating’ format, with each supplier having five minutes to make their pitch to their chosen buyer(s) on a first come, first served basis.

The 12-acre site for the new children’s hospital on the St James’s Hospital campus has been fully cleared and is now ready for the laying of foundations. The size of Dundrum Shopping Centre and the length of Grafton Street, the new hospital will have four acres of outdoor gardens and external space, as well as 380 individual inpatient rooms, each having their own en-suite and a bed for parents to sleep near their sick child.

Minister Pat Breen said: “‘Meet the Buyer’ for the construction of the new children’s hospital is a stepping stone for many Irish suppliers and businesses to securing important contracts which offer the chance to companies to gain experience and develop capability on large scale construction projects. Last week I attended Digital Construction Week in the UK with 30 Enterprise Ireland clients, promoting Irish capability in the construction sector. As Minister for Trade and Business, I am focused on supporting construction firms through Enterprise Ireland by increasing competitiveness and innovation. This puts Irish construction companies in an advantageous position when it comes to diversifying and securing business abroad”.

Julie Sinnamon, CEO, Enterprise Ireland said: “Enterprise Ireland is committed to facilitating opportunities for SMEs to bid for significant contracts through events like ‘Meet the Buyer’ and it is great to see over 200 companies register their interest in pitching for business. These events ultimately benefit all parties involved while also offering Irish suppliers the chance to gain experience in the delivery of world class building infrastructure. For businesses with global ambition, this capability and experience proves invaluable when companies go on to compete for projects overseas”.

John Pollock, Project Director, National Paediatric Hospital Development Board said “We are delighted to work with Enterprise Ireland, BAM, Mercury & Jones Engineering on this ‘Meet the Buyer’ event. The construction of the Phoenix Children’s Hospital Ireland is one of the most significant in the history of healthcare in Ireland. This is a beautifully designed hospital and our core objective is to build and equip a modern, state of the art hospital that delivers value for the people of Ireland but which importantly is designed, built and equipped in a manner which will enable clinicians and health managers to do their jobs in optimal conditions and for the comfort of families and children attending the hospital.”

The ‘Meet the Buyer’ event also included a business zone where the Department of Social Protection, Construction Industry Federation, Dublin City Local Enterprise Office, IntertradeIreland and Enterprise Ireland were available to provide information and support to attendees.

Full information on the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board’s Community Benefit Progamme was also available on the day. This Programme has been developed to ensure that the building of the new children’s hospital is a catalyst for regeneration and sustainable economic development for the Dublin 8 area and beyond.

Pictured above: John Pollock, Project Director, National Paediatric Hospital Development Board; Minister Pat Breen TD and Kevin Sherry, Executive Director, Global Business Development, Enterprise Ireland.