John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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The amount of money being spent in, for example, the third level sector is enormous. The Minister, Deputy Harris, is constantly reforming and creating new entities. History over recent years shows a greater study is required of how that money is spent. Now a greater amount of money is being spent and there needs to be a focus on sectors like that. I hope staff levels in the Comptroller and Auditor General's office and the ability to audit these figures are improved and enhanced by Government policy. Rather than the Comptroller and Auditor General asking for money, Government policy should be to ensure it happens with greater efficiency and with a greater desire to carry out full audits and get to the end of the wastage of public money. It is in the Minister's remit and I would love to see him bringing about a reform of the whole system, in terms of the Comptroller and Auditor General, local government, how the HSE allocates money and how it is chased to the end user to ensure efficiency, transparency and value for money. Has the Minister any notion regarding reform of the office?