Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail)

I ask the Leader to organise at the earliest opportunity a debate on value for money in public spending. Anyone who saw the programme on this subject last night must be concerned about the information presented to the public on how successive Governments and State agencies have spent taxpayers' money. However, the programme did not have the necessary balance, nor did it present an opportunity for the people involved to put forward their side of the story. It is incumbent on the Government and the relevant Ministers to lay out the facts on this issue. The Seanad would particularly welcome that, as it the House where one can have a more broad and open debate on such issues. It is important that this be done in order to allay the fears of the public and to set before us hard evidence to ensure this type of misinformation does not continue.