Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Some of these Revised Estimates are quite staggering, particularly in these times of hardship. I see the cost of running the Department of Taoiseach has gone from €34,337,000 to €54 million. The Vote for the Central Statistics Office has reached €65.6 million, up from €54 million. This is a runaway train. The Department of the Taoiseach has been allocated a massive increase of 57%. I know the Taoiseach has just entered office and I wish him well. Some €20 million has been allocated to public communications concerning Covid-19, with €10 million already spent on providing the public with information on the various restrictions as they were implemented. This is crazy. We all saw them. I attended a meeting with the then Taoiseach, as did the current Taoiseach, where we were told it was very serious and sympathies were expressed for everyone who died. We cannot pay the nurses but we can afford this kind of spin. This is outrageous money as far as I am concerned. It is reckless and it should be seen as such. The communications team recommended providing the public with clear information. We did not get clear information on some things and we still have not got it.

For example, I refer to rates. With great fanfare it was announced that rates on small businesses would be parked or put to one side. These businesses were forced to shut down by the actions of the Government. That was necessary and we supported it. The measure was called a "rates holiday". Now the county councils are sending out the July moieties, having sent moieties out for June. The councils have not received a shilling from the relevant Department, nor have they received any clear guidance on how to deal with this. Businesses that are still closed are getting huge demands for the next moiety of rates. They do not have any information about the break they were supposed to get. Those rates must be paid as well. The councils do not have a cent, but there is plenty to pay the spin masters.

I refer to the National Asset Management Agency, NAMA. When the late Deputy Brian Lenihan, God rest him, set up NAMA I said in this House that it was like releasing a wild animal in the woods. No-one knew where it would end up. A decade later it is still out there and it cannot be reined in. What is going on?

We do not know the costs involved and there will be another extension in September. It is like a wild animal. At least the rangers can get the deer, but we cannot get anybody to take control of this vehicle. There will be demands and statements about NAMA and inquiries into it, as sure as the Taoiseach is sitting in that cathaoir. Will he answer those questions? The runaway train of waste is not acceptable and I would love to know what the Taoiseach is going to do about it during his term in office.

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