Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

No. 9 proposes a substantial capital carryover of €126 million. Effectively, that will only be examined briefly by the Oireachtas Select Committee on Finance and the Public Service. The provision for this carryover includes large capital sums which presumably relate to decentralisation. We have not been given the details but much of it is for buildings. Since this was announced in the budget, as the Taoiseach said last week, the financial outlook for the economy has deteriorated still further. What we need is not so much a debate about these carryovers simply being technical but an alternative consideration of how this money can be best spent.

Various sums are involved, including €12 million for FÁS for capital or buildings programmes and €36 million for the Office of Public Works. How much of this money is for decentralisation? At a time when our health service cannot cope with the demands placed upon it, would this money not be better spent in alternative ways? This debate needs to take place on the floor of this Chamber and not be packed off to the committee where it will receive scant attention and even scanter explanation.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Finance is absent again today. He comes to this House very rarely to answer questions about his brief. He should be here. A sum of €126 million might be small change to the Minister for Transport, as was the €500 million spent on PPARS but for many Deputies, €126 million for capital carryover is a significant amount of money.

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