Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses. There should be a cost-benefit analysis of this project. While social benefits are being claimed on the other side of the House, it is verbal and so on. It should meet the project appraisal guidelines set by the Department of Finance, the views of which I would welcome because I am afraid this will be one for the Comptroller and Auditor General. What is being done here? Members have heard that 97% of the post has delivered, which is fantastic and I congratulate Mr. O'Sullivan and his staff. They are well known throughout the country for knowing where everyone is located and they are brilliant at handling the five Brendan Griffins and so on. In common with many people, my wife orders online and they know where the house is located because they use Sat Nav. Consequently, I do not know with what problem this investment is supposed to be dealing. I have serious concerns about the escalation of costs. When I raised this issue in the Seanad on 4 July 2013, I noted €15 million was the figure reported by The Irish Times. The then Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, stated one should not believe the numbers one reads in the newspapers, the clear implication being that I was exaggerating the €15 million. It then became €24 million on 20 April and is €27 million today. Moreover, one figure provided to members concerns that the consultants' fee at €6 million or 3% of the cost. That would make it a €50 million project and people appeared before this joint committee at the last meeting suggesting it was an €80 million project.

Were this project to come before the Seanad, I could not vote for it on the basis of what I have heard. I do not know what the benefits are supposed to be compared with the Sat Nav used by the independents and the excellent network the post office already has. In fact, it might undermine the post office, if its advantage in knowledge through its local people becomes available through this system. I made the point at the last meeting that given the nature of the Trinity College constituency, I have constituents in both counties Monaghan and Fermanagh. All my letters to Clones get through but it is an added nuisance in Newtownbutler to include the seven-digit code. Do we not have technology that can recognise where Mayo is? Must it have seven digits after it? After what I have heard this morning, I now am more sceptical than ever. Certainly, were any estimate to come before the Seanad on this, I could not support it without a cost-benefit analysis, as well as much more convincing evidence that this is a project with which it is worth proceeding.