James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I welcome everyone this morning. I want to follow on from Deputy Catherine Murphy's comments on the public spending code. How this instrument has been used to any effect when it comes to projects has long been of interest to me. My understanding of the public spending code, which is that of the majority of politicians, is that it exists as a safeguard to prevent projects from going into over-expenditure and to assess the potential risk of such an occurrence. However, that has to be balanced by considering whether it really worth going through a process that takes a certain amount of time. On average, how much time is required for a major capital project, such as a major hospital development, an extension to a public building, a new road project or a public transport project, on which we will see an awful lot more expenditure in the future? How cumbersome is the process in that regard? Did any issues arise in 2022 or even previously in respect of which the instrument was effectively used to stall a project until further examination? Given the rapid inflation that we have experienced, which has wiped away the capacity we would have had some years ago to get projects over the line, worth billions of euro, is the system fit for purpose? The Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform, Deputy Donohoe, has committed to significant work on this, but I just want to get an insight into what happened in the past and how genuinely effective the code has been since it was put in place.