Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the Taoiseach that the national children's hospital project should progress but the public is demanding value for money while it does so.

On the general point I made, there are 257 agencies in this country. We used to call them quangos. At the same time, we witness all the errors, mistakes and abject systems failures right across the public service. After all of those mistakes, one could only conclude that governance levels have disimproved. A decline in public confidence exists despite the massive cost in the increase of oversight. Are all the quangos and oversight bodies necessary? Does the Taoiseach have any plans to review the agencies? Will he ensure that a stocktake is carried out? Has he identified any agencies for abolition? The public are bewildered by this waste of public funds at a time when they are enduring personal financial strain and pressure. The public want to see the restoration of proper responsibility and accountability, particularly in the context of major projects that are under way.

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