Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State. We know, and I will not recount, the different overspends around OPW projects that have been interrogated by the media, and indeed in this House, during the last period.

The OPW is a very proud organisation with a long track record of achievement throughout the entirety of the history of the State. I do not want to see the OPW, its staff and the work it does to become a watchword for waste. There has been a fair degree of opportunism about various projects around these Houses, quite frankly. That being said, that is not to say the criticisms were wrong. Accountability is important when it comes to public expenditure.

I note the Minister of State's comments on the introduction of new guidance on expenditure and the roles and responsibilities of officials at certain levels in terms of governance of projects below a certain level. I would rather talk about rules, regulations and accountability rather than guidance, because guidance is missing the point. We do not do accountability properly in this country. That has been shown in stark relief by the way in which issues around overspends and lack of compliance with governance has been handled to date.

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