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

I wish to bring up one particular topic but specifically on this issue. I must state straight up that Mr. Watt is being overly sensitive and I will tell him the reason his actions prove this. Mr. Watt spoke of the €50 billion that is expended by the State and the good work that is done. That will be debated in the Chamber during the budget and Estimates debates. In the case of each line Department, a Minister will come in for as long as it takes to explain to everyone in the Oireachtas all the good work being done in his or her Department. Members have had terrible discussions on the Croke Park or Haddington Road agreements over the years on the good work that is being done. That is all being done. One element of the overall work of Members of the Oireachtas is to consider the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General. Consequently, the context with which Mr. Watt is concerned is being set on every other day of the year in the course of Oireachtas business, at Oireachtas committees and by Oireachtas chairs. Members come to this and Mr. Watt should give credit to the people on this side of the House.

Interestingly, I refer to the reason I believe Mr. Watt is overly sensitive on this particular issue. Chapter 13 in this report concerns procurement without a competitive process. I was the first speaker up today and did not mention it. I read it, it was clear cut and I could see the issue regarding An Post and the Garda Síochána. I did not mention it because I could see the merits of what Mr. McCarthy was trying to point out. I did not need to quiz him on it because no more needed to be said. However, Mr. Watt has mounted up as an issue my first statement this morning because he appears to be somewhat sensitive about it. He brought it up a little while ago and then brought up with the Comptroller and Auditor General by questioning the reason there is a report on this issue. Mr. Watt is the only person to have brought up this issue today. He has done so three times and it might get coverage solely because he is a bit sensitive. I was happy to see the context in which this took place, to accept that context and to accept that it involved small sums of money. There is not even a suggestion that the money was lost. There are just reasons that it was not competitive. There are many contexts set out on other days, but perhaps Mr. Watt is just present on a single day.

I have two further issues regarding the Vote issue to which I wish to revert, but perhaps the Chairman should conclude.