John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)

I have the Comptroller and Auditor General's report in my hand, which is a catalogue of misappropriations and unwise spending. Some €48 billion is spent through different Departments. The appropriation account for 2004 makes alarming reading. I am sure the Minister's decision will be scrutinised and will not stack up. Due diligence was not carried out.

The exorbitant costs and haste involved in this deal by the Minister has left a sour taste in many mouths. The Government committee responsible for this spent eight months looking at alternative sites to Thornton Hall but only spent eight days considering Thornton Hall before it committed to buying that site. The Minister raised the €3 million deposit but I am certain that, in terms of the amount of money which is being paid for that site, the owner would allow the deferral of the sale beyond 1 October and wait for his lotto prize. There is no reason to rush to close this deal. Groups in the locality are calling on the Minister to halt proceedings before the final sale goes through.

Was approval given by the Comptroller and Auditor General and the Department of Finance according to the 1994 guidelines? Was the evaluation carried out and was clearance given by the Minister for Finance to agree the sale? That is equally important.

There were 30 expressions of interest from other parties regarding sites. The owner of Thornton Hall made no such expression of interest. On the contrary, the committee approached the owner of the land and tendered for it. As has been well documented, €30 million of taxpayers' money was used to pay for this site. I do not call this rip-off Ireland but rip-off Government. The country is being ripped off. The Government has a large cheque book yet it asks what previous Governments have done. The State never had more money to spend but it is misspending it. On the open market the site would have sold for €6 million. The Government cannot ignore this fact. It is paying 500% more than the going price. It confounds reason. This Government must explain its decision to pay over the odds for the site. The Government is getting money left, right and centre. There is taxation of tax. The best contract of all is a Government one. If a Government cheque book is used to buy land, an auctioneer will quadruple the price.

There have been objections from the psychiatric profession over the suitability of this site for the relocation of the Central Mental Hospital. If the committee had taken longer than eight days to discuss the site's merits, they may have realised this themselves. Due diligence, assessment and evaluation were not carried out. This Government is riding an ego train. Intoxication by power is a dangerous ailment. Padded cells would suit some in this Government. The current site of the Central Mental Hospital and Mountjoy Prison are obviously worth a lot of money, up to €250 million. The concerns of people in the region are also important. It is appalling to think that flashing euro signs have allowed the Government to negotiate with taxpayers' money in such a haphazard way.

Even disregarding the huge mark up of the cost of the site, serious questions remain about its suitability. Consideration must be given to the fact that 1,000 prison staff will need to access the area, as well as visitors for those who are incarcerated. However, there is no suitable road access to the site. The surrounding area has a small population and a three teacher national school is located nearby. The water and sanitation services needed to service a prison and hospital are currently unavailable. These costs will add up. Another example of the inadequacy of the area is that there is no public lighting. The infrastructure is unsuitable for this type of development. I have no doubt that there will not be much change from €250 million when this site is complete. I guarantee that the Comptroller and Auditor General will carry out an assessment. We have witnessed an example, given by Mr. John Purcell, of public private partnerships and the inability to get value for money.

Millions of euros of taxpayers' money will be spent dragging this vanity project through the courts. A €3 million deposit was put down for the 150 acre site. The remaining 90% of the money needed to close the deal has to be put down by 1 October.

It is a desperate indictment of the Government's inefficiency that it is continuing to evade questions on this issue, so close to the deal being closed.

What has the Minister to say about the women's prison built only six years ago at a cost of €20 million? There is no forward planning.

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