Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On the same matter of the children's hospital costs, we have been promised an independent review, to be carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers, into the overall spend of the children's' hospital. A cursory look in the Companies Registration Office shows that PricewaterhouseCoopers has been the auditor of the Royal BAM Group, and not just its subsidiary in Ireland. This is a billion euro plus company. PricewaterhouseCoopers is the auditor and accountant for this company. Is the Minister satisfied that the House can accept this as an independent assessment by a company that has consistently been the auditor of the Royal BAM Group's accounts for the past number of years? Does he honestly believe that we can accept this as an independent review, bearing in mind that the contract we are referring to with BAM is a €1.7 billion potential contract? Is the Minister satisfied that the review will be fully independent? Is he satisfied that every Member in the House can accept the review as independent? The Minister has grave questions to answer around the independence of such a review. The Minister, Deputy Donohoe, has to be satisfied that it is fully independent. I certainly am not.

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