Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Capital projects such as the ones we are mentioning here are vitally important to the country and to all its citizens and residents, not least the many who are coming to my county of Kildare. Of equal importance, however, is the surety to the taxpayers who fund those that there is transparency in terms of the funding and that they are getting the best value for money while the projects are being carried out.

As for this Bill, the key message from our party is that infrastructural investment has to be about much more than just ribbon cutting by Ministers in hard hats. That is something we see on an ongoing basis. As recently as last Thursday, four Ministers were in Kildare basically to put a spade in the ground for a new innovation and research centre, which is very welcome. I do not think a spade went into the ground, however, because the ground was not ready.

There has to be a follow-on in actual delivery of projects and value for money. My colleague, Deputy Calleary, introduced this particular Bill in 2017 to enhance oversight of capital spending. As it draws on recommendations in an IMF assessment of infrastructural spending issues in Ireland, it comes from a good basis and good research. The Bill ensures that an automatic review of capital projects by the Comptroller and Auditor General is triggered if costs rise by a certain amount or anticipated demand falls. The key point is that this measure will kick in if costs rise by a certain amount or percentage. This would place Ireland in line with international best practice and ensure we learn lessons from the national children's hospital overspend scandal.

With €42 billion due to be spent on capital projects over the next decade, we need a rigorous set of performance and value for money reviews to ensure that money is spent wisely because by way of contrast, the Government's mishandling of the scandalous overrun in the national children's hospital costs undermines its credibility, and that of the Ministers of State opposite, on delivering value.

My colleague, Deputy Cowen, put it very well earlier when he spoke about the amount of money that will be spent in terms of the overrun in the national children's hospital project. If the same percentage of overspending was to take place on all the capital projects in line to be undertaken over the coming years, it would amount to €10 billion, which is frightening. That shows the vital need for a Bill like this one to be put in place. I am disappointed the Government is not supporting it but it is heartening to see support for it from across the rest of the House.

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