Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am talking to the public outside of here. This is a body - the commission - which is paid and has a function, a responsibility and oversight for the running of these Houses. I want to put it on notice that there is a proposal currently before the commission to do extensive changes to our Library beneath this beautiful room. It will cost millions of euro to do and to operate. Let us be on notice so we are not here in another six months, talking about another scandal of waste of public money.

We are seeing this concern. I am not saying who authorised the money but I am saying the commission and the people here should have known what was going on and should have asked questions. It is easy to romp in here after the summer and blame the Office of Public Works and everybody else. Let us, as politicians, take responsibility for things that are going on within our campus. I accept the Cathaoirleach is right in that the commission had no dealings with the funding of it. However, we surely should know what is going on in the centre of Parliament, in the parliamentary complex.

I want a note of fairness. The Office of Public Works does amazing work in keeping this building and the National Botanic Gardens - 30 or 40 buildings around the city. Let us not scapegoat people. This happened because someone wanted it to happen. Let us take our fair share of blame and responsibility. Because the public is outraged, suddenly the politicians are outraged.

I want to finished on this. Let it be a marker. Let us not destroy our Library below this room. Let us not incur any further public expense and make more excuses. We are on notice here today, as we were yesterday by my good colleague, Senator Michael McDowell, who had an extensive piece in The Irish Times, which I recommend that people read. Let us take responsibility for what is under our noses in this place.