Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am very pleased to propose with Deputy Cullinane this simple but important Bill which could, if enacted, strengthen good governance, accountability and the public interest within all organisations in receipt of public moneys. I see no reason it would not be supported by the Government or, indeed, everyone in the Dáil.

As a member of the Committee of Public Accounts for some years, I have seen at first hand the enormous value of the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General. Both the Comptroller and Auditor General and the Committee of Public Accounts have exposed poor governance in various organisations in receipt of very substantial amounts of public moneys. Oversight keeps organisations right, be they large or small. The State has a particular responsibility to ensure that all public moneys are spent appropriately and for the maximum benefit of the people. It is, after all, the people who entrust the Government of the day to collect and administer their moneys for the collective benefit of all. That is why the work of the Comptroller and Auditor General and the Committee of Public Accounts is central to the oversight of general public administration. By chasing the money, people can be assured the necessary checks and balances are in place to protect their money and the public services on which they rely.

Under existing legislation, the Comptroller and Auditor General cannot always follow the money. This restriction is imposed on him or her by law and by us as politicians, and it simply makes no sense. It has only served to undermine the public's confidence in the much needed services sections 38 and 39 organisations deliver on behalf of the State. Our most vulnerable people rely on these services and they might not otherwise be available to families, be they in mental health, disability supports, workplace training or, indeed, rehabilitation. The Bill seeks to set this wrong to right. It enhances the principle that all public moneys be subject to the same scrutiny regardless of the organisation's size or funding composition when in receipt of the public's cash. To complement the legislation, Sinn Féin also provided an additional allocation for the Comptroller and Auditor General in its alternative budget document to assist the office in the expanded role we envisage for it. The office is under pressure even as it stands.

The Government must learn from the mistakes of the past. All of us from whatever party and, indeed, from none must enable the Comptroller and Auditor General's office to fulfil its role within the public administrative system. Departmental bodies such as the HSE must, in turn, address the shortfalls in their internal oversight policies and procedures. This is how we, as elected representatives, protect the public purse and deliver first world public services to the highest standards of delivery, accountability and oversight.

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