Alice-Mary Higgins (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Gavan for his support and I thank the Minister of State for his recognition of the importance of the points made. If he is not taking them on board, I hope he might be able to make a commitment on reporting. It is one thing to say that concerns will be taken on board in the budget, but it is another to say what I propose.

Our second concern - it is an overriding concern - relates to transparency. I have mentioned groups such as Counter Balance, which has highlighted that the EIB is one organisation that needs to tell us how countries are using the fund. This reflects the language in the amendment. We need to know the decisions that are being made. This is a genuine concern. The objectives are not aspirational extras, they are primary objectives. They are called main objectives. Among the main objectives are the achievement of the sustainable development goals, the eradication or reduction of poverty, and climate mitigation and adaptation. This is not a wish list on the side along with economic recovery. These are three objectives among perhaps seven and they have equal standing. That is what I mean when I talk about how the fund is to be used. We need some indication that information will be fed back on how the fund has worked in terms of all those objectives and the public service requirements we mentioned.

In addition to acknowledging the importance of the public sector and public investment, the Minister of State and his officials - I recognise that he is stepping very ably into a Department that will have many other actors - should have a plan that the Government will share with all of us, hopefully across both Houses, outlining how Ireland, particularly in the context of its presidency of the Eurogroup, intends to give leadership regarding investment in the public sector and public infrastructure as part of the recovery. It does not have to be a report of the kind I have outlined; I just ask that some kind of vision document be shared with us in regard to this issue.