Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I ask the question because we all have a great fear in respect of another big capital project which is expected to cost up to €500 million more than originally intended. I am also mindful of the comments made this morning by the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment. He said the Cabinet had collectively thought the right protections were in place to protect taxpayers' money, despite the overrun that occurred on the children's hospital project. I am also conscious of the commitment the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, gave this week to bring forward proposals next week to deal with any such issue into the future. It was last November when he became aware of the problems. He is now bringing forward proposals only because of the furore caused by the fallout. It is incumbent on him to carry out an audit or trawl of all capital development programmes and projects that are under way or have been contracted. I have helped him along the way by putting questions about every item programmed for expenditure under the national development plan this year. I hope he can meet the commitment given by the Taoiseach on Sunday when he said he would bring forward the details of the projects within the capital development plan that would not be progressed because the money was needed to plug the hole created by the overrun this year. I hope in later weeks the Minister will bring forward the details of what will not proceed in the next three or four years to make up the shortfall of €450 million.

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