Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 17 October 2012

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform

2013 Allocations for Public Expenditure - Office of Public Works: Discussion with Minister of State

4:05 pm

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent) | Oireachtas source

No, I am asking about what has generally been lost under the OPW's remit. It has lost a sizeable number of staff and its funding has been reduced massively. Can the Minister of State tell the committee what has been lost as a result of that? Obviously, the OPW has important responsibilities in areas like risk management. What risks are being posed to the country, in the opinion of the Minister of State, as a result of the ongoing massive reductions in staff and funding? I refer both to short-term risks and potential long-term risks.

Like others, I welcome this fantastic process. As I said earlier to the Minister, Deputy Noonan, best international practice is for parliamentary committees to get the draft budget three months before budget day. I ask the Minister of State to try to ensure that happens next year. I do not know whether the committee will make a formal request to that effect. I welcome this process as a great step, but I would like the Government to consider moving towards international best practice next year. I know it is a huge amount to ask. It might take a few years.

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