Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Thursday, 3 April 2014
Public Accounts Committee
2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 11 - Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Chapter 3 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 4 - Vote Accounting
Chapter 5 - Vote Budget Management
1:00 pm
Mr. Robert Watt:
The future of the projects is, obviously, a decision for the Government. It is up to the Government to decide whether it is affordable or desirable to proceed with them. The current position is that they are not within the capital envelope. We are not incurring any more spending on those projects and there is no more work relating to them going on. The Secretary General of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has provided the committee with information on the spending to date, which I believe is between €150 million and €200 million. That money went on planning, various works around the Mater Hospital and the purchase of properties. I presume we can sell the properties that we purchased if that is what we want to do. Obviously, though, some money cannot be recouped because it involves ---