Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I compliment Deputy Mattie McGrath and the Rural Independent Group on tabling the motion. I ask how anyone reading the motion could vote against it but it is no more than many things that go on here, unfortunately, the same wagon wheel turns and the same fiasco keeps going.

Are engineers, architects or quantity surveyors working on the PwC report? Generally, accountancy firms do not employ such people. If we wanted this to be done transparently, we would bring people in from outside the country.

We know that the State is not fit to build anything efficiently. It cannot do it. There are a few different types of contracts. There is yellow form, blue form and design and build. Had we a brain in our heads we would go with a design and build process and put the pressure back on the builder. We would look at the different submissions that were made and pick out the best. However, we do not seem to want to do that. We want to keep trying to waste money.

We are building a hospital that cannot land a helicopter and that is not accessible by car. People coming from the countryside cannot get to it. It is not possible to put the maternity unit onto it. What geniuses are persisting with this? A proper external review should be done. I went out to the site with other Deputies. We looked at it. The only thing that has been done is the retaining walls. If the volume of money that I heard had been spent has been spent, someone is on a good old touch. All that is done is the retaining walls and a lock of columns. One could make a car park out of the part that has been done.

I also want to put on the record that I am worried that down the road there will be a problem with getting out water after heavy rainfall. I have a small bit of knowledge about construction and I worry about the systems in place to get the water out.

This is about taxpayers' money. If the Government is genuine about this we should halt the process.

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