Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Clearly, an issue developed here -it has developed on my watch - in respect of a cost estimate and it has led to very serious concerns in this House and throughout the country. What would I have done differently and what are my learnings from what has happened? Yesterday, I published an entire set of different proposals on how we can change the procurement process relating to vary large projects in the future. The particular learning I have regarding this is that, in the context of genuinely large projects, having separate governance structures in place might work for a particular project. However, I have now seen, with organisations such as Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, and Irish Water, that if one has an institution in place whose only job it is to deliver multiple projects of the same kind, the kind of issues with which the Minister for Health and I are now dealing potentially could be less likely to happen in the future. I take responsibility for that, along with the Minister for Health. Both of us were responsible for the setting up of the structure relating to all of this.

On the point about dysfunctionality within my Department, let me make clear again that during this year we will have three major road projects delivered, we will have more than 6,000 new homes delivered, 6,000 new homes delivered and more than 18 primary care centres delivered.

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