Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)

I spent two years in that Department as a Minister of State a while ago. It has fine officials, great backroom training and expertise but they are officials. They have an official mind. They are different from politicians who have a different approach and, with all due respects, are closer to the people. The mix of the two can contribute something. The notion that the officials have advised the Minister against setting up an independent scrutiny committee of the Oireachtas is par for the course. They would not see the need for it but the Minister should see the need for it. This House sees the need for it. The Minister's colleague, speaking a while ago, indicated that he saw the need for it. We are talking about enormous moneys, and a reasonable request from this Parliament. We want scrutiny over this €50 billion and the way to achieve that is to set up a scrutiny committee along the lines proposed. I urge the Minister as strongly as I can to take this on board and do it in the interest of democracy and of proper scrutiny of this enormous sum.

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