Children's Health Ireland (CHI) has told gardaí that 36 computers were taken from the still-unfinished National Children's Hospital on two consecutive days in July, according to RTE.ie. The health body said the PC units were removed from the building's Early Access areas on 30 and 31 July. CHI's ICT team spotted the loss and the matter was reported to gardaí at Kilmainham.
Gardaí confirmed to RTE.ie that they received a report of a theft at an organisation in Dublin 8 covering the same two dates. A number of electronic items were listed as stolen, and the investigation is continuing.
Why it matters
The hospital has already drawn sustained public criticism over its delivery timeline and cost, and the disappearance of dozens of machines from a building that is not yet in use adds a security dimension to that scrutiny. The computers were taken from a site that remains under the control of the developer, BAM, until the hospital reaches substantial completion — a division of responsibility that CHI itself flagged in its statement.
CHI said it can only comment on incidents involving property belonging to CHI or the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board. That limits what the health body can say about security arrangements on a site it does not yet run.
Security review and access routes
According to RTE.ie, CHI said a review of security has taken place since the theft, covering all entry points into the Early Access area. The health body did not indicate in its statement what the review found or whether it has led to changes beyond that scope.
BAM declined to go into detail. A spokesperson told RTE.ie that because An Garda Síochána is still investigating, the company could not comment further at this time.
The theft was not detected by on-site security but by CHI's own ICT team, which identified that the machines were missing. Gardaí have not said whether they have identified any suspects, made any arrests, or recovered any of the equipment.
Political reaction
Deputy Tóibín described the theft as the most recent failure in what he called a shambles surrounding the National Children's Hospital. He said the project is already years behind schedule and far over budget, and that it has now emerged that a serious IT theft is under garda investigation.
Mr Tóibín also argued that an unoccupied building is more exposed to further losses, and that stolen computers represent a data risk. He said questions need answering about oversight and security during a construction phase that has no confirmed end date.
His comments tie the incident to a wider argument about how the project is being managed, rather than to any specific claim about what was on the machines. No information has been released publicly about whether the computers held patient data, staff records or other sensitive material, and CHI has not said so.
What to watch
The garda investigation at Kilmainham is ongoing, and neither the outcome nor any recovery of the equipment has been announced. Watch for any garda update on the inquiry, and for whether CHI or the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board publishes further detail on the security review and on what, if anything, was stored on the stolen machines.
