Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

The Minister stated that the Departments sponsoring these projects follow his Department's guidelines. The Comptroller and Auditor General has indicated, in the case of the roads programme, that an overrun of €4 billion was due to underestimates of items that should have been correctly estimated when projects were originally put forward. He also indicated that there was an additional overrun of €2 billion on the programme as a result of altered works. Is the Minister stating that in the case of the projects which generated such a massive overrun, the sponsoring Departments applied the guidelines set down by his Department? The Comptroller and Auditor General strongly criticised those involved for not applying the guidelines. He also indicated that proper reassessments were not carried out when changes were made and that items which should have been costed were not properly costed.

Is the Minister living in cloud cuckoo land? He is failing to recognise what Accounting Officers are telling us, namely, that the rules to which he refers are not being applied. That is why there have been so many overruns and why so many projects have not been delivered on time. The Government needs to get to grips with the situation. If the Minister continues to read replies of the sort he has just read into the record of the House, he will not get to grips with it.

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