Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)

I thank the Labour Party and Deputy Broughan for sharing some of his time with me. The old adage about the inch and the yard will not be forgotten by me again.

The need to ensure that accountability and transparency mechanisms are put in place to avoid the wastage of public money is absolutely critical. When we are unable to get clarification from Government Ministers or under the Freedom of Information Act as to how moneys are being spent in CIE or the NRA, we are leaving the national transport network open to exploitation, abuse and criticism and it cannot be allowed to continue. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Brian Lenihan, indicated during the debate in the House on NAMA that he would consider trying to introduce a mechanism to allow him to be subject to parliamentary questions on NAMA. It is currently a promise and has not yet happened, but, if such a system is introduced, it would leave some possibility of Government Departments returning to some level of real accountability in this House for their various portfolios.

I support this motion, which proposes that a proper system of parliamentary oversight be introduced for CIE, the NRA and other agencies and semi-State companies which are in receipt of billions of euro of taxpayers' money. It is important that we do not replicate the mistakes of State agencies such as FÁS across all State companies and bodies. It is necessary to ensure at all times that such bodies are serving the interests of the public in a cost-effective way with no wastage. CIE should be brought within the remit of the Office of the Ombudsman and that of the Comptroller and Auditor General and there should be no abdication of responsibility from the Government in disclosing important information to the public. Taxpayers' money is funding these bodies, money which, in these times, is earned in sweat if not in blood in many cases. Taxpayers are entitled to know how such money is being spent and that it is being used wisely.

I am worried, a concern I share with Deputy Broughan, that this motion could be a wolf in sheep's clothing and that Fine Gael, a party which is a known proponent of the privatisation of public services, is using this opportunity to advance its own ideologies. Deputy O'Dowd would never do that, but the party might.

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