Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I am not wild about public private partnerships, PPPs, but I hope we never again sign a contract with that kind of compensation tied into it. Apart from anything else, it is completely at odds with our climate obligations. It is a very sizeable sum. The figure of €3.9 million is effectively the baseline, while the figure for 2020 is almost €10 million higher and for 2021, over €6 million higher. That is what the taxpayer will have paid in compensation for those two years.

On value for money, I am sure we will all raise examples with which we are familiar. I refer to the M7 project and the widening of that road. In addition, there was the Sallins bypass, which was built in tandem with the M7. Kildare is the gateway to the west and the south, and I imagine there is more motorway in Kildare than in any other county. Certainly, there are very high traffic volumes. Those roads are Kildare local roads as well as being national primary roads. The Sallins bypass was originally expected to cost €61.7 million and it came in at €85.5 million, an increase of about 39% in what was forecast. There was a contractor dispute, there were design amendments and there was Covid, although that was only for part of it because the road was already largely in place. The road that was delivered has no public lighting and has only part of a cycleway and a footpath. Is TII satisfied that what is being delivered for that money is satisfactory in that context? I accept this went to conciliation, but can the witnesses give a view on whether they believe that was value for money? It is a significant overrun.