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

The Taoiseach need not convince anybody on the necessity of having a world-class children's hospital. God knows, people have waited long enough for it, but that is not the source of my questions. I am questioning the efficacy and effectiveness of the procurement procedures of the State. The Taoiseach should bear in mind that in the term of office of the previous Government his party made a virtue of the fact that it had overhauled procurement procedures to avoid precisely this type of scenario of cost inflation and potential wastage of expenditure by the State. It is for that reason that Mr. Watt needs to present himself to the Joint Committee on Health. I am well aware that Mr. Breslin is the Accounting Officer for the Department of Health, but I am with Deputy Kyne, the Government Chief Whip. I do not believe Mr. Watt's position is sustainable and see no good reason he should not present himself to the Joint Committee on Health. A review by PwC is all well and good, but it is not in government and running Departments. Where we need accountability for this cock up is among people in government and the senior civil servants who advise, guide and implement Government decisions. The Taoiseach is dancing on the head of a pin in saying matters are simply being deferred in respect of other spending. Neither people living in Waterford who are waiting for a second catheterisation laboratory, nor people living in the midlands or Drimnagh will welcome or feel in any way reassured by the Taoiseach's distinction between a cut and a deferral. Will he confirm for the House that he will make available a full and comprehensive list of deferred and re-profiled projects in order that people can make a decision for themselves?

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