Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are about to go into the second year of a comprehensive spending review and there is a difference between waste, which we have to identify and reduce, and a better use of taxpayers' money. There can be better ways of spending money and that is what the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform does. I have Vote teams which work with every Government Department, which cannot go ahead with particular projects without my Department's consent. One of the reasons I can have challenging relationships with other Departments is that my consent is required in certain cases. To date, the Comptroller and Auditor General has not approached me to ask for additional powers, nor have I received an approach from the Local Government Audit Service but if either of these things were to change I would, of course, engage with them. I think the work done by the Comptroller and Auditor General is of exceptional value.