Colm Burke (Cork North-Central, Fine Gael)

It is important because inflation in building costs is a big issue that has arisen, as is the way in which it is affecting contracts overall.

Could I ask about gross capital expenditure of the OPW from year to year? When was the last time the OPW stayed within its budget as set out at the start of the year? One of my colleagues has already stated that we now need to be very careful about expenditure and make sure we are getting value for money, while also making sure we are planning carefully for the future. Overspending has occurred in quite a few Departments, so much so that it is adding up to quite a substantial sum. Do we not now need to examine all these areas? In the past three to four years, for instance, there has been a huge inflation rate in the HSE, whereas this year the additional money required by the HSE is very much under control, based on a budget of over €24 billion. What is the OPW doing to ensure we will stay within budget and at the same time get projects delivered?