James Breen (Clare, Independent)

Every year the annual report of the Comptroller and Auditor General has highlighted the continued waste of taxpayers' money due to the implementation of projects, some of which are merely ego-driven whims of Ministers. Far too often these projects have resulted in seemingly never-ending overspends in taxpayers' money. However, action to reform the measures that allow such waste have either not been taken or on occasions have moved along at a snail's pace. It is not surprising that the public is fast losing whatever faith it has left in the Government.

At a time when our economy is idealised as a role model for many countries and when tax collection continues to surpass projected forecasts it is shameful that mismanagement and inefficiency result in the continued waste of public money. Instead of Ministers speaking in the Dáil to account for wasting taxpayers' money or explaining their actions in their Departments or the actions of semi-State bodies within their remit, we find Ministers hiding behind the Ceann Comhairle's office, refusing to answer reasonable questions, totally flying in the face of the Government's so-called ideal of openness and transparency.

It is incumbent on the Government to install a system whereby the input or intervention of any Minister in any project is clear at all times. Ministers should be answerable to the Dáil on any question regarding their intervention. Equally, it is our duty to change the process whereby a preliminary report on a project bears little relation to the final project, following a bartering process by individuals each promoting their own agenda. Definitive guidelines as to what any capital project entails and realistic pricing policies are urgently required. Eddie Hobbs, rather than any Minister, would appear to have more influence on the pricing policies for Government projects. Having been ridiculed over the difference in costs of projects from preliminary report stage to the real cost on completion, the Government has now gone to the other extreme. The trend has now developed whereby initial estimates are overstated and timeframes are exaggerated so that on completion, a project can be announced as being below budget and ahead of time. The appointment of an estimates commissioner is immediately required to put an end to this charade.

See this speech in context