John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)

There is a developing mythology that the Government's public capital programme involves projects that are of little public benefit and that, in the words of the Opposition motion, are "a total waste of money". This is neither a balanced nor an accurate view.

The Punchestown agricultural and equestrian exhibition and event centre is occasionally mentioned in this context. This centre is a valuable asset to the agricultural and equestrian industry in Ireland. It provides a top-class facility for the sector to display the quality of Irish agricultural and equine product in an appropriate setting of international standard. It hosted the prestigious European eventing and distance riding championship in 2003 which attracted large numbers of overseas visitors to Ireland and received wide international press and television coverage in Europe and beyond.

With regard to funding, the estimates for this project came before Deputies on eight different occasions, four in the House and four in the select committee. In so far as opposition Deputies had anything to say about Punchestown, they were generally supportive. The PAC report of March 2004 on the Punchestown centre acknowledged that the Department's controls and administrative procedures in the completion of the project were thorough. There were no cost overruns. Paragraph 4.18 of the report is quite clear on this matter. The PAC had concerns about the evaluation of the project and asked that a post project review be carried out. I understand such a review is now nearing completion and will be sent to the PAC shortly.

I turn to the movement of laboratory facilities from Abbotstown to Backweston. Is anyone seriously suggesting that the development of state of the art laboratories to underpin food safety controls for an industry that supplies consumers in one hundred and sixty countries world wide is a waste of money? Apart from food safety concerns, the dominant challenge facing the food industry is the production of quality, innovative and nutritious food products for the international consumer at highly competitive prices. It is essential that our laboratory service is equipped to play its role in the provision of testing and research services that are vital for the development of a modern agri-food industry.

Without these facilities, Ireland's food industry would be outstripped and outpaced by others who possess the necessary capability to meet these demands. It is essential that major capital projects and public expenditure generally be well managed and properly controlled. On that we are all agreed.

The Minister of State at the Department of Finance has already mentioned the new guidelines for the appraisal and management of public capital projects, which will make a significant contribution to this overall aim. Apart from that, this Government has placed considerable emphasis in recent years on a programme of change management in the public service, and on the development of best practice models of financial control and management comparable with the best the private sector has to offer.

I see the tangible benefits of these policies in my Department, which in many respects has led the way regarding the implementation of this change agenda. The Department's corporate framework includes a modern, powerful accounts and financial management system, a formal risk management system which was the first if its kind in the Civil Service, a well resourced internal audit unit, an audit committee under private sector chairmanship, and an accreditation review group, chaired by the Secretary General and with senior Department of Finance representation, to scrutinise departmental adherence to EU financial control standards. In addition, as part of the ongoing development of financial systems, the Department has provided significant financial training to all staff, and this will be an ongoing process in the future.

Apart from these structures, the Department is subjected to a level of external audit unmatched in any private sector organisation. Audit bodies include the EU Commission, the European Court of Auditors, the Comptroller and Auditor General, the EU's anti-fraud office and independent external auditors who certify its FEOGA guarantee account.

The developments I have described and other aspects of the Government's initiatives on the modernisation of the public service are being achieved while ensuring customer service standards are not adversely affected, effective administration and corporate governance are maintained and the industrial relations and human resource issues are addressed appropriately. These are all part of a programme of change which is, as we speak, resulting in the provision of higher standards of management, financial control, transparency and accountability and, ultimately, service to the public. For all these reasons, I support the Government amendment and commend it to the House.

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