Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

This Government is getting to grips for the first time with what is happening in organisations which are funded by the State and where issues have arisen regarding salaries that are paid or governance. It was this Government that commenced the audit, through the HSE, of the various organisations funded by the State, and that audit shone light on the salary levels and various other arrangements. We are putting in place the regulatory regime I have described. Progress has been made on that. The relevant staff will be in place by the end of February and the authority will be operational by Easter. That will be the first time that will have been done.

It is the Government's view that there must be accountability for the spending of any public money, and that it must represent value for money and the best outcome for the taxpayer. If we feel public moneys can be better used, more effectively deployed or can deliver a better service for the public by means other than channelling that money through particular organisations, that will inform our policy decisions. Our view is guided first by the need for the public to get the best possible service for the spending of any public money irrespective of how it is spent, whether through a State agency, a voluntary agency or a charity; and second by the need for transparency around the way taxpayers' money is spent. That is why we have taken the approach we have taken and we will continue with that until there is a satisfactory outcome to all these matters.

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