Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

——on the public purse arising from his refusal to live up to his ministerial responsibilities or to consider what his brief was when the Secretary General of the Department told him on the steps of the Gresham Hotel, or otherwise, that he should have followed the matter through.

Everybody accepts that we have a strong economy, created on the backs of the workers of Ireland and the multinational firms that built the Celtic tiger. However, with regard to value for money, reform of public services and the fact that the health service employs 30,000 people but only 5,000 of these work in the front line, there is appalling waste and misuse of public funds. The Minister for Finance has failed in his central duty to give value for the people's money — a bang for their buck — and the Government has failed to be one of competency and professionalism, or to deliver major projects on time and on budget.

There is no point stating that the Opposition has a dim view of the world — we do not. We accept that these projects are required but they are not required at exorbitant expense to the taxpayer. The Minister for Finance is charged with the responsibility for financial allocations. As a corporate unit, the Government has failed miserably.

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