Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

How can we be sure the decisions the Cabinet has made this morning will actually be implemented? The Taoiseach has just said the Government will employ whatever expertise it believes is necessary in order to make the best decisions for the country. I respect that, as I do the Taoiseach's willingness to have a debate in the House, which is only right and proper as this is the forum of the people.

The Taoiseach's successor as Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Micheál Martin, produced 120 consultant reports at great public expense, very few of which were ever implemented. In the report on the national development plan produced just recently by the Minister for Finance, there is a €251 million underspend in the energy programme. When the press release is issued at 3.30 p.m., how can the Taoiseach guarantee the decisions made by the Cabinet will actually follow through, because there are innumerable examples in this programme, and others, where money allocated by the Government to various sectors, whether mental health, suicide prevention or whatever, have never actually been implemented?

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