Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

Was the Minister as shocked as I was to discover that the follow-up on the expenditure review process was so poor? Is he aware that, of 143 studies to be completed over the period, only 20 were completed? Less than one in seven was completed and more than 30% of them were totally abandoned. In some of these cases, they were abandoned with the clear acquiescence of the Minister's Department. Why did the Minister acquiesce in the abandonment of so many of the studies? Why are so few studies being completed? Why was none of the recommendations of the Comptroller and Auditor General acted upon, following his report on this matter to the House in 2001? We still have the same problems to which he adverted, including poor quality of work, no central guidance, no quality assessment and no review of the impact of any of these studies on actual decisions. It is a shambles and the Minister needs to take this in hand.

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