Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It appears to be a specific lacuna in the information provided in the Comptroller and Auditor General's report. Ms McLaughlin's Department should not be happy that there is such a lacuna.

The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government estimates the PPP design-build-operate plants in question represent average savings in the range of 10% to 20% for capital project costs and 5% to 10% for operational costs. That is an utter bluff, particularly if the Department cannot give us the figure on outstanding commitments. I want the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to inquire of the Department as to how it arrived at that figure because, based on what we heard this morning, it sounds made up.