Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The upcoming report of the Committee of Public Accounts will highlight again the Government's mismanagement of precious State financial resources. The report is set to highlight overspending in areas such as An Garda Síochána, the Health Service Executive, the direct provision system and a range of other public agencies across the board. For example, in the case of the HSE alone, it will note an alarming level of non-compliance in the procurement of goods and services, often from private agencies. The estimated cost is €506 million or 23% of total expenditure. As I do not have time to instance all of the examples, my question is general. Does the Government take the issue of financial management seriously and what will it do about these matters?

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