Mr. Seamus Coffey:

It is not something we would look at specifically. Taking off the fiscal council hat, it is something that is general, whether you are looking at the public or private sector. Some projects go well and come in on or close to budget. They do not tend to get much attention. Other projects seem to get a whole load of attention for problems that emerge. Even if you did a small-scale construction project yourself, you would know the difficulties in trying to keep to the original budget. There are television shows that make an entertainment form out of running over budget. It is not just limited to the public sector but it is clearly an issue.

Some of the stuff that goes under the radar does not get the attention it might deserve. We built a second runway and it was done pretty close to what the original plan was because of long-term thinking, not over five to ten years but over 30 to 40 years. In terms of sterilising land, we can see the cost of building an additional runway over in Heathrow compared with what we did here. Then you have the alternatives and the large-scale projects like the children's hospital and maybe some small-scale projects around the complex here that do get a lot of attention. It is something that arises. It is something you might like to see better control of but it is a factor with certain projects. Whether it is public or private sector, these things do arise.