Faroese parliament sends hospital construction proposal back to finance committee

A proposal to fund a new hospital building in the Faroese capital, Tórshavn, has been returned to the finance committee after a single disputed phrase in the committee’s assessment, Kringvarp Føroya reports.

The Løgting (Faroese parliament) had been expected to approve the budget allocation during its second reading, following a recommendation from the finance committee. However, Helgi Abrahamsen, the committee’s chair and a member of the Union Party, requested the proposal be sent back for review.

The contested wording in the committee’s report stated that the project could potentially exclude Faroese construction firms and suggested limited interest in a publicly owned hospital rather than a leased facility. The statement read: “During the first reading, the possibility was mentioned of excluding Faroese construction companies from the tender. The committee also discussed building a hospital that the Faroese would own rather than lease. There appears to be little appetite for such a solution, neither among Faroese authorities nor within the Faroese construction industry.”

The Confederation of Faroese Employers criticised the phrasing as both “skewed and harmful” to local labour. Abrahamsen defended it as an unfortunate miscommunication but acknowledged the error. Parliament voted 29–1 in favour of returning the proposal to the finance committee, with the second reading now expected next week.

The existing hospital in Tórshavn has been deemed inadequate, prompting plans for a replacement facility.