Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party) | Oireachtas source

I have listened to all the speakers. I am disappointed with some of the parties here. I am not pointing the finger at Sinn Féin but at the Labour Party and the Social Democrats. They continue to count out waste in this Dáil. We put forward a working solution and I do not think those parties proposed an amendment but came in and criticised it. That is outrageous. The Social Democrats do not believe in this new body. Will we continue with the waste going on at the moment? That is outrageous. How do they face their electorate talking like that? They are talking out of the two sides of the same mouth. The Deputy from the Social Democrats said we do not need to cut NGOs. We certainly need to look at the money that is spent. Some NGOs are doing brilliant work but there is a huge amount of wastage. I am starting to wonder if people have another agenda. Were they working in NGOs before they came into the Dáil and want to protect that service?

The People Before Profit Deputy referred to the US Department of Government Efficiency. We came up with this idea well before any of the US officials. In January of last year, we included it in our proposals, on our website and in our policies, and we stand over it. We were ahead of the pack and let others, whether in America or England, follow suit. We were well ahead of the pack.

The People Before Profit Deputy said we should look under the bonnet. Even though he criticised our proposal, he said we should look under the bonnet. The same Deputy said last week that we should not have fossil fuel cars, electric cars or sports utility vehicles, SUVs. He wants no bonnets. It is the mudguard of a bike he wants to look under. That will tell you how far from reality that Deputy is.

The Labour Party asked who would want a watchdog. We are the watchdog. What have we, as politicians, achieved? We have not achieved anything in respect of expenditure and the money being blown left, right and centre in this country.

The Government amendment is scandalous. It is not in any way, shape or form going to address the waste in this country. In his contribution, the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers, said:

Furthermore, Article 33 of the Constitution establishes the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General, which is a key institution in the checks and balances of our democracy. It continues to serve the State well and its reports are considered and held in high regard by the Committee of Public Accounts.

How can it continue to serve the State well with the absolute scandalous waste that is going on? The Minister of State, Deputy Moran, stood up and defended that. He should be ashamed to do that.

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