Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy knows, in the stability programme update we have made provision of up to €3 billion for the cost of looking after refugees across a full year next year. It is a high-level estimate. In truth, we simply do not know what the real cost will be. So much depends on the number of people who come here, how many of them stay, and to what extent they will join the labour force and work. It is a high-level estimate but we have made provision for it.

We have the largest budget ever in the history of the State for capital expenditure at €12 billion. The challenges we face are delivery, or getting projects done, and ensuring we achieve value for money. We are seeing, as the Deputy will be well aware, significant increases in construction inflation. That is now manifesting itself in new tender prices that are coming in for projects. There are significant challenges in that space. During parliamentary questions, we discussed what might need to be done to address that. I need to make sure on the one hand that signing up to public works contracts is a viable proposition for contractors, while on the other I also need to make sure we get value for money for taxpayers.

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