Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will follow suit with Deputy Devlin by posing some questions to the witnesses. Maybe they will come back in writing and I can forward that to the clerk. I would like to know how the Department assessed the efficiencies and effectiveness of the agencies under its remit. What programme of assessment does it carry out to ensure they are operating? I have huge difficulty with some constituents contacting me, who have been waiting for a walk around check for nine months. Without that they cannot move on to take their artic licence. It is a significant issue. I cannot understand it. It is not similar to the theory test. It is carried on outside. I will submit some more to Mr. Spratt, but how does he measure the effectiveness of the agencies under him?

I want to come back to the roads. It is a significant issue. County Wexford has a deficit of €68 million, accrued in a shortfall over the past ten years, in road maintenance moneys. We have approximately 5,600 km of roads in the county One councillor recently said due to the state of the roads in County Wexford, it is similar to trying to keep the tide out with a fork, in terms of performing maintenance at the level of funding which is given. It is difficult to see a 500% increase in commercial traffic on roads which are underfunded. I want to make the point on the €68 million deficit accrued over a ten-year period. We are firefighting all the time. It just maintenance, maintenance, maintenance. There is no resurfacing.

On the national oversight and audit committee, in terms of roads, we have the worst roads in the country, second only to County Donegal. I would be looking at how roads funding is allocated. I do not believe for one minute it is of benefit to the Exchequer to be funding through the kilometre system, on the basis some of our counties have good roads. As Deputy Murphy alluded to, if maintenance does not need to be carried out, that money should be disbursed into other counties where the roads are significantly worse. That is according to National Oversight and Audit Commission, NOAC, not my opinion.

I thank the members of the Department for coming in.