Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

I revert to the question I asked. Did these Department breach the guidelines issued to them by the Minister? For example, was the failure to cost 16% of the roads projects in breach of those guidelines? Regarding the changes in the scope of projects which accounted, between the non-standard and the standard, for 44% of the increases, did that comply with the Minister's requirements that a re-evaluation of the projects should be done to see if they remained justified at the new cost?

I have seen no evidence of re-evaluation of any projects contained in these programmes. The Minister may see matters differently, but the evidence I see is that these Departments are ignoring on a wholesale basis the guidelines issued by the Minister, while his Department does nothing about the matter. There is no point in the Minister issuing guidelines which look like good practice if the Departments freely feel they do not need to observe them, and ignore requirements like expenditure review initiatives. They ignore their responsibilities.

If the Minister wants to make his mark, he needs to reassert his authority in terms of how these projects are carried out. The Minister's predecessor lost credibility because of how he handled the Punchestown development. He destroyed credibility in the Minister's Department for proper evaluation and control and a proper approach to public spending. The Minister needs to reassert his authority and must do more than he has outlined in his very timid reply.

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