Eugene Regan (Fine Gael)

I support Senator O'Toole's statement on hand guns. It is not clear what the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is proposing. He has intimated some restrictions on legally held hand guns and it would be useful if he came into the House and explained precisely what he proposes to do in this area. The use of hand guns and pistol shooting is a big sport in this country. It is a distraction and is intended as such by the Minister to focus on the issue of legal hand guns rather than illegal hand guns and the lack of control in confronting gangland crime.

On the issue of value for money in Government expenditure, there are lines in the budget of every Department on value for money reviews. It was formerly known as the expenditure review initiative. At various times as Minister for Finance and as Taoiseach, Deputy Cowen emphasised the issue of value for money. In a seminal speech I alluded to last week he said that we must have full acceptance of the need to ensure every euro is well spent. However, when dealing with the head of FÁS, Mr. Roddy Molloy, who is from Birr in Offaly and is personally known to the Taoiseach, we tear up the rule book and suggest everything is all right, and the Taoiseach says we do not go there. As is evident from his interview, Mr. Molloy is out of touch when it comes to value for money and use of Government funds.