Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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The Order of Business is No. 1, Statute Law Revision Bill 2024 - Committee Stage, to be taken at 12.15 p.m.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Before we move on with the Order of Business, I welcome Steve and Adam Elsworth, friends of former Senator Paddy Burke. They are visiting Dublin for the first time. You are very welcome and are in the capable hands of Senator Ahearn. Enjoy your visit to Leinster House. Thank you.

I call the leader of the Fianna Fáil group, Senator Fitzpatrick.

Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
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I join the Cathaoirleach and the Deputy Leader in offering our best wishes to the people of Bulgaria on their national day.

This week marks three years since Russia illegally invaded Ukraine. We in the Upper House and the Lower House marked that and reaffirmed our solidarity with the people of Ukraine. I acknowledge the great leadership being shown by our Taoiseach. I understand he is to meet with President Zelenskyy, who is due to travel to Washington in an attempt to broker a deal with the support of the US. I believe everybody in this House is committed to supporting the people of Ukraine and to ensuring they have a free, independent, democratic country and their independence, democracy and right to self-determination are respected. When our Taoiseach meets with President Zelenskyy, I am certain he will reaffirm our country's commitment to continuing to support the people of Ukraine in their defence of freedom, independence and democracy.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Local Authority Members Association, LAMA. Almost 100% of elected local authority members have signed up and are members of LAMA. I want the House to recognise the tremendous service LAMA has provided over 40 years and to acknowledge that service over four decades of previous elected representatives. It would be appropriate for the Deputy Leader to invite the executive and members of LAMA to visit the House at some point during their 40th anniversary year of 2025, and for us as a House to engage with them on their past 40 years and their ambitions for the decades to come.

We in this House enjoy the great privilege of this Order of Business and the opportunity to speak on Private Members' matters and Government issues. There has been an unseemly row rolling on in the Lower House for the past six weeks and I know from listening to constituents-----

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I remind the Senator that what is happening in the Lower House is not the business of this House.

Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail)
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Absolutely. I apologise for not respecting that. It was not my intention. I will not continue on the subject. Go raibh maith agat.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Thank you very much.

Joe Conway (Independent)
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Ba mhaith liomsa ar an gcéad dul síos tagairt a dhéanamh do thuarascáil ar dhéanadh le déanaí ar the National Asset Management Agency. This publication came to light recently and was submitted to the Taoiseach. It is a report on the National Asset Management Agency's disposal of its Northern Ireland loan portfolio, Project Eagle, and was submitted to the Taoiseach pursuant to section 32 of the Commissions of Investigation Act 2004 by the Commission of Investigation (National Asset Management Agency) on 4 October 2024.I ask the Cathaoirleach to bear with me while I dig out my technology here. This commission of investigation was appointed to examine the sales of assets in Northern Ireland by the State assets management agency, NAMA. Its report found that the strategy was appropriate in the circumstances, but raised issues regarding the agency's handling of conflicts of interest. If I can go further down through the report, the commission found that NAMA "correctly and robustly" declined to sanction any fee paid to certain people. The commission also accepted that the failure by NAMA to reappoint certain persons may well have been damaging to "highly politically sensitive" North-South relations. The report also found that NAMA should have brought certain disclosures to the attention of the NAMA board in advance of them considering the reappointment of external members, and that this would have enabled the board of NAMA to make an informed and considered decision. The report said it had identified some aspects of the process that are subject to criticism, albeit that these issues did not impact on the price ultimately achieved for the portfolio, which was £1.322 billion. The commission of investigation said the application of an adjustment of £85 million in relation to some properties was "not appropriate", however. The report also called into question a valuation placed on the portfolio by the CEO, saying that it was not mathematically precise but merely represented a "reasonable estimate". It was also critical of a decision to set a minimum price below the book value of the portfolio without it being properly documented. This is one of the sections that I find particularly upsetting. It also raised issues regarding the record-keeping in relation to the decision that the portfolio be purchased in cash. Senators will recognise that the time this was all done was around 2012. It was within a short remit of the peace process. We know that in 2012, there was a shocking amount of cash washing around in the Northern Ireland economy. I am worried about that.

Chris Andrews (Sinn Fein)
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St. Patrick's Boys' National School in Ringsend is a DEIS band 1 school that serves pupils in Ringsend, Irishtown and Pearse Street. The Department of Education has just notified it that it is going to lose a teacher, which is a huge blow to the school. It has failed to meet the arbitrary 127 retention pupil rate. The staff work themselves to the bone there. The conditions they are working in are very challenging. Pupils are already educationally disadvantaged in the school. It means they are going to have to shoehorn eight classes into six and will have to split multiple classes. Parents have already told me they are going to remove their children from the school because of the split classes. There are already significant literacy and behavioural issues. We need to have common sense in relation to this. We need to show some compassion and ensure that the number crunchers in the Department are not determining the educational outcomes for children in Ringsend, Irishtown and Pearse Street. I ask that the Minister would come in. I have no doubt this issue is replicated right across the country. It is an important issue to discuss.

Laura Harmon (Labour)
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I want to raise a concerning issue this morning in respect of Sunbeam House, a residential service for people with intellectual disabilities. We saw the reports about this. There were 482 safeguarding incidents reported to the HIQA chief inspector. They were found to have staffing and management issues and poor behavioural support for the residents who had been living there. I support the comments from Inclusion Ireland that we cannot allow history to keep repeating itself through institutional practices and human rights being denied to people with disabilities. We are just three months out from a general election in which disability was one of the key issues. People with disabilities want to have their voices heard. We need further action on this. As a society, we have to face this together. In 2025, people should have a choice. They should have more control over where they live, the conditions they live in and who they live with. Anything short of that is inhumane; it is degrading treatment. The over-reliance on agency workers in these services was very concerning. They found that 12 agency staff were supporting one individual over a period. There was a lot of change in staffing, which was very disruptive to the people in question. HIQA also found that Sunbeam House did not have sufficient governance and management systems in place to protect people who were at risk of abuse. This is deeply concerning. We need swift, immediate action on it.

Garret Ahearn (Fine Gael)
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I ask that we have a debate with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment on the news of possible tariffs for the EU and the impact they could have. As we all know, businesses across the country are going through a very difficult time. They have increased expenditure, and challenges which are quite demanding for them at the moment. The Government recognises that and is trying to put supports in place for businesses, such as the 9% VAT rate which will be introduced in the next budget and other measures. I am not sure any measure the Government is proposing at the moment will go far enough to solve the problem of a 25% tariff which the President of the US is proposing to impose. I ask the Leader that the Minister, Deputy Peter Burke, come into this House and outline Ireland's and the EU's position, and how he sees this Government focusing on and supporting businesses. It has been a very challenging time for the last couple of years but from what we heard last night, there is going to be an even more challenging time for businesses across the country.

Anne Rabbitte (Fianna Fail)
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I would like to second what Senator Fitzpatrick has said on acknowledging the 40th anniversary of LAMA. I would welcome the executive and the wider group of local authority members coming to meet the Members of the House. I have no doubt everybody here feels the same.

This my second time this week raising the issue of co-ordination in respect of local authorities. At home in Portumna, we have a rescue boat for the River Shannon. For any colleagues who do not know, Portumna is at the mouth of Lough Derg. The rescue boat is operated by the local authority. The crew members from the retained firefighters are trained to a very high level in how to launch the boat and do rescue procedures. Lough Derg is the widest of the three lakes on the Shannon so the rescue boat could also support and be of great value to Offaly County Council, down towards Banagher. If we are going down to Killaloe, it will be of huge support to Clare and if we have to go over to Terryglass, it is of huge support to the people of Tipperary. Other than that, our nearest launch rescue boat is actually down in the mouth of Limerick, which would have to come all the way up. That is operated by the RNLI. It is not that we do not want to wait for the RNLI, but we have trained people with the proper materials to provide support to a vehicle that has had an accident on the Shannon and run aground or somebody who might have accidentally fallen overboard. Time is always of the essence when a tragedy happens. I ask again that we have the Minister responsible for local government come to the House to discuss standardisation issues. I raised chainsaws yesterday and am raising rescue boats today. I would really welcome the opportunity.

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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I will talk about the NAMA issue again and the management of Project Eagle. This report has taken seven years to complete, and while its findings exhibit ambiguity, they nonetheless highlight significant concerns regarding the way this country addresses conflicts of interest and transparency, especially in substantial financial transactions such as those involved Project Eagle. Although the report concludes there were no significant deficiencies in the board’s management of the situation involving its former adviser, Mr. Frank Cushnahan, who was aiding PIMCO, one of potential purchasers of the portfolio, this incident ought to serve as a critical wake-up call. It is imperative we revise our legislation concerning the management of conflicts of interest. We require clearer and more effective legal frameworks to eliminate the issues associated with revolving doors of employment and financial interests. All too frequently, we observe individuals transitioning frequently between various roles in Government, quangos, NGOs and the private sector.

Moreover, the protracted duration taken to release this report is particularly troubling. There is a pressing need for a simplification of the procedures governing the compilation of such reports. Often, the extended timeline for their completion and publication allows the individuals and organisations involved to move on without accountability.

I urge the Minister for Finance to provide clarification on certain ambiguous responses presented in the report. For instance, how can the report assert that Project Eagle secured a fair price for its portfolio, considering the Comptroller and Auditor General’s 2016 report which estimated that NAMA had undersold by approximately €313 million in today’s currency? Furthermore, why does the report not address the allegations made by former TD Mick Wallace indicating that the final buyer of the portfolio, Cerberus, had made payments to an insider at NAMA? Will there be any comprehensive investigation into these allegations or will we be left with another seven years for additional vague and ambiguous statements?

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I remind Senator Keogan that she cannot reference people outside of the House, so-----

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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They are in the report. They are named in the report, so I am quite happy.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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If she could just be careful-----

Sharon Keogan (Independent)
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That is no problem at all.

Alison Comyn (Fianna Fail)
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I raise a serious situation at Our Lady of Lourdes emergency department in Drogheda, County Louth, which reached breaking point over the weekend, as outlined by a report by my former colleague, John Kierans on the front page of the Drogheda Independent this week. Paramedics are being left up to five or six hours with people they are bringing to Our Lady of Lourdes emergency department. It is a huge waste of resources, unfortunately, because if somebody calls an ambulance, they cannot leave. Over the weekend – it went into Monday – there were more than 200 people waiting to be seen or admitted, which means the paramedics had to stay with them. If a person was admitted at 2 o’clock on Monday, that person was not seen until noon on Tuesday. Unfortunately, if paramedics in the north east are called, they cannot bring a patient to anywhere other than Our Lady of Lourdes, despite Navan having a small emergency department just half an hour away and there being a minor injuries unit in Dundalk. When people call an ambulance, they need to be seen. If you have a minor injury, you can go yourself, but if you call an ambulance, you will be taken to Our Lady of Lourdes, and the overcrowding there is at a breaking point.

On 2 January this year, 16 ambulances were parked outside Our Lady of Lourdes. None of those paramedics could be called anywhere else; they had to be called from around the rest of the country. That is despite an ambulance bypass only three days before. I note the response from the HSE saying that if patients are very sick or feel they are in an emergency situation, they should of course come to the emergency department, but other than that, please use other resources such as the minor injuries units. Unfortunately, people feel at this stage they cannot call an ambulance.

We need to see whether emergency departments can be opened up around the rest of the north east. I call on the Deputy Leader to have a debate with the Minister for Health, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, on this topic.

Manus Boyle (Fine Gael)
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I call on the Minister for the marine to come into the House to give us an update on what is going on in the fishing sector. I come from rural Donegal and fishing is a major employer in rural communities all over Ireland, from Killybegs down as far as Casltetownbere and straight across to Waterford and Wexford. As of now, at the end of the month, all our mackerel is caught. Our boats will be tied up for ten months of the year. Our crews are home now, trying to get more employment. Most of them are heading away to England to try to get on offshore wind farms. We need the Minister to come in and tell us what his plans are for the next year moving forward. We need to be in touch with Europe and we need to get our MEPs working hard to try to secure more quota for the Irish fishing industry. We have factories lying empty for ten months of the year, and then when they try to get workers, they are not there. I would like the Minister to come in and give us an update on what is going on.

Teresa Costello (Fianna Fail)
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I will speak about concerning wait times for dental health appointments for children. It was discussed quite a bit yesterday in the other House. Kids' dental health is very important, keeping our children mindful of good oral hygiene and, equally, any work that needs to be done to their teeth. I have spoken to people in my constituency of Dublin South-West whose children have had to wait unacceptably long times for routine examinations and simple treatments such as seals done to their teeth. An example is children between the ages of eight and 12 who should be getting this done now are told they must wait until they are 13 or 14 years of age.

On my way to work today, there was a man on the radio discussing delays for dental treatment for his child who has autism. The child presented with excruciating pain and would not take medication. He was told he would have a ten-year wait. Anybody who has ever had a toothache knows that is wholly unacceptable. He did subsequently get an appointment. However, it is a huge shortcoming.

Delays in the dental health of our children are simply unacceptable. I call on the Minister to come in for a debate on dental health services for our children.

Gareth Scahill (Fine Gael)
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I call on the Minister for Health to support the people of Ballaghaderreen in west Roscommon because, on Tuesday of this week, we received the disappointing news that the primary care centre that was promised for Ballaghaderreen, initially mooted in 2012, was not going to happen. It only came to light on Tuesday in the regional health forum when a former colleague of mine, Councillor Sean Moylan, brought the question up, as he had done in November and in September previously, asking for progress reports on the primary care centre. He was told that even though the lease had been signed on the facility, at the end of January, the developer made the HSE aware it was no longer able to fulfil that work.

The people of Ballaghaderreen have stood up to the mark every time they have been asked to by the State. They have taken in migrants and they have opened their community to everybody. This is a much-needed facility that is necessary for the whole community – migrants and locals. It would be remiss of me not to mention that. I know I have the full support of all the local representatives on this. We cannot let these situations continue without supporting these communities that have always stood up.

Aubrey McCarthy (Independent)
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I note it has already been mentioned by Senator Ahearn, but I wish to address the very real concerns facing Irish businesses with the news overnight regarding US President Donald Trump’s threat to impose a 25% tariff on EU goods. If these tariffs are enacted, it would have severe consequences for Irish exports, Irish jobs and our economy as a whole. The United States is one of our most important trading partners, with Irish companies exporting billions in pharmaceuticals, agrifood products and technology to the US. A sudden hike in tariffs would not only make our goods more expensive in the American market but it would also lead to job losses at home.

The EU has already signalled it is ready to respond, but this could potentially escalate a trade war that Ireland, as a small, open economy, cannot afford. Are we prepared for this? Have we assessed the risks to our industries, our workers and our economic stability? The Government must take immediate action to mitigate potential damage and engage at the highest diplomatic levels, supporting the affected sectors and ensuring Irish business can adapt to the changing global conditions.We cannot afford to be passive on this. We must now act to protect our economic interests and the livelihoods of thousands of Irish people.

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Fianna Fail)
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As we approach International Women's Day, it is fantastic to see two women in the driving seats this morning. If you see it, you can be it. Well done ladies.

Some €82 million has been allocated to Cork to fix and develop 104 regional and local roads. While this is extremely welcome and a very large amount of money, members of Cork county and city councils believe it is not enough. The road network in Cork is becoming very undone. When there is heavy rain, especially in rural areas, streams burst, go onto the road and there is erosion. While this €82 million is very welcome, as I said, it is a drop in the ocean. Could we call the Minister in and debate the allocating of funding? Though it is welcome, it is not enough. I presume that is not just in Cork. I would like if he could come into the House.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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Following on from what my colleague, Senator McCarthy, said a moment ago, it strikes me that there are so many things coming down the tracks at us from the new Administration in America that it is difficult to know what is going to lead to disaster and what might have a grain of positivity. One thing I am fascinated by, and I think many people in Ireland would be fascinated by, is the idea of a department of government efficiency. Certainly, in the United States it probably has the capacity, depending on how it operates, to do harm to good things but we are already seeing that serious misspending of public money has been exposed over there. When one thinks of recent controversies in Ireland around a shelter, a shed, a wall, an IT contract and most recently the conversation about a scanner in the Arts Council - or across the road, I should say - what all of those things have in common is that they are examples of Government waste and substantial waste at that. It is these stories that have people wondering why they elect politicians in the first place if they will not properly oversee the spending of taxpayers' money. When we have a Government back bench TD warning us that nobody likes new taxes but tough choices are coming, people wonder what is going on. Are we getting value for money? If one pauses to think about it, the questions multiply. Who is looking after the public's money? How can there be no answerability for vast overexpenditure? We all know civil servants are doing great work - or many are - but sometimes we wonder if people are at their desks enough doing the job they are paid to do. Are they reachable by citizens when necessary for services to which citizens are entitled? Is there a cosy consensus between elements in the permanent government and politicians or even between the permanent government and preferred contractors? We have no way of knowing unless whistleblowers come forward. We should welcome any whistleblowing action which exposes any cosy consensus underwritten by unsuspecting taxpayers.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Go raibh maith agat.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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I will conclude by saying that we have a system which lacks transparency and allows financial mismanagement to go unchecked. Sometimes, if you are promised information, it never comes.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Go raibh maith agat.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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I am still awaiting a response from the Department of higher education and the HEA on Athena SWAN expenditure, which I requested on 9 October, almost six months ago.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Thank you, Senator.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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The only thing that will override public suspicion about the misspending of taxpayers' money is transparency about what is going on. I would like to ask for a debate about whether we need a Government department-----

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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Go raibh maith agat.

Rónán Mullen (Independent)
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-----or a department of Government efficiency to ensure our taxpayers' money is not being abused.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I thank Senator Mullen. I ask the Deputy Leader to respond.

Fiona O'Loughlin (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach. As this is my first time taking the Order of Business, I thank everybody for their co-operation. We started off this morning with Senator Fitzpatrick who spoke about the three-year war of aggression against Ukraine. Many of us had the opportunity to meet the ambassador, H.E. Larysa Gerasko, yesterday, and express personally to her our solidarity. Senator Fitzpatrick is right; we need to reaffirm that on every occasion we can. Senator Fitzpatrick also spoke about the importance of the upcoming meetings with the Taoiseach in Washington where he will meet President Zelenskyy.

The Senator also spoke about the 40th anniversary of LAMA and that almost 98% of councillors are members. We should recognise and appreciate the tremendous work done by LAMA and AILG in supporting members. She suggested that we invite the executive to visit Leinster House during this 40th anniversary year. We should do that. We should look back on the past 40 years but also look ahead. Only last week, I spoke about the upcoming awards at the weekend. I thought it would be appropriate we would have the opportunity to see examples of best practice in local government in the projects that won. It is something we should do this year. I commit to Senator Fitzpatrick and all Members that we will look at that with the executive.

Senator Joe Conway started the conversation about Project Eagle and Senator Keogan also spoke about it in terms of the report from NAMA. There are certainly concerns about the length of time it took to develop this report - seven years. There are concerns about the extended timeline given some of the information that came through. There are a lot of questions about conflict of interest and the values of portfolios. We should look for a debate on it in this House. It is of public interest to the people of Ireland and Northern Ireland because it is really about assets in Northern Ireland.

Senator Andrews spoke about St. Patrick's Boys School in Ringsend and that the Department of Education notified the school that it would lose a teacher and that classes will be split. It is always most unfortunate when something like that happens. I suggest that Senator Andrews submit a Commencement matter in relation to that school. We all support children in all schools getting the best possible education and support they can.

Senator Harmon spoke about Sunbeam House Services, a residential home for people with disabilities, and her concern about a large number of incidences and the overreliance on agency workers. She expressed concern about the denial of human rights in the context of people being able to make their own decisions about their own futures. We should all be concerned about that. A lot of work was done around the ratification of the UNCPRD. Part of that is being able to make decisions. There is a HIQA report; we need action on it. A Commencement matter could be submitted about Sunbeam House Services in particular. We should call for a debate with the Minister for disabilities concerning ongoing issues.

Senators Ahearn, McCarthy and Mullen all spoke about the need to have a debate with the Minister for trade and business on what has been coming for a while but was announced overnight: the possibility of the US putting tariffs on EU goods and the potential for that to be up to 25%. It is of huge concern. The Senators are right to raise it. We had so many debates about Brexit and its possible impact leading up to Brexit. We were able to manage - I am not saying it was not difficult for many areas - but this is of such importance that we need to have a discussion with our colleagues in Dáil Éireann about setting up a joint committee on the potential difficulties and to engage with the EU. We must have a position but the EU also has a position. There are huge concerns. We will take this on as something of immediate importance. We will look for the Minister to come to the House as soon as possible. I am sure it will not happen next week but after St. Patrick's weekend we will try to highlight this as a key area. Senator Rabbitte spoke about co-ordination in local authorities, particularly regarding the rescue boat at Portumna at the mouth of Lough Derg, which serves not just that area, as she pointed out, but also counties Offaly, Clare and Tipperary at times. She stated that the next nearest boat was run by a different agency - the RNLI - in Limerick. As she rightly pointed out, time is always of the essence when dealing with emergency situations. We need standardisation. I support her call to invite a Minister to discuss this. A Commencement matter on this would also be good, but we will look for the Minister to respond.

Senator Comyn spoke about the emergency department at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda. It has to be frustrating when paramedics are tied up for up to seven hours at a time and 200 people are waiting in the accident and emergency department there. One of my sisters was an accident and emergency doctor at Drogheda many years ago. I remember hearing about the shock and horror for people who were working in it as well. It is highly frustrating that ambulances can only be directed there. There has to be a better way. The small injuries unit and better primary care are the way to go, which is ironic considering what Senator Scahill raised. In general, we need to have a debate with the Minister for Health on accident and emergency departments throughout the country and how we can try to solve the issue.

Senator Boyle raised the need for a debate on the fishing industry. It is an industry in crisis. The matter affects coastal counties far more than the midlands where I live, but I am conscious of it and of those who are employed in the industry and the families and communities that depend on it. The Senator is right, in that we need to hear the plans and to engage with our MEPs. The Minister of State with responsibility for fisheries and the marine was only appointed last week. We will look for the opportunity to have a debate with him as soon as possible.

Senator Costello discussed waiting times for dental health services for children. Some of them have been told that they will have wait until they are 13 years old for treatment. That is simply not good enough. She also spoke about the difficulties she heard in an interview for a child with autism. Approximately €200 million annually is going to support oral health and there are 15 new HSE dental staff this year, but it is an issue of importance and we will look for a debate.

I am genuinely sorry to hear that the primary care centre that was promised for Ballaghaderreen is now to be moved, as mentioned by Senator Scahill. The fact that people have been waiting since the announcement in 2012 and now, 13 years later, it is being moved is just incredible. Money has already been spent in sourcing the centre. I do not have any information on it, as the Senator will understand. Primary care centres are the whole basis of Sláintecare. To be fair to the former Minister, Stephen Donnelly, he put a lot of time and investment into ensuring the growth and development of primary care centres. We will look for a debate but I suggest that the Senator table a Commencement matter specifically about Ballaghaderreen. That decision undoubtedly needs to be reversed.

I have already addressed what Senator McCarthy discussed regarding the severe consequences and job losses. With the Cathaoirleach's agreement, we will put the highest priority on that as a House.

Senator Murphy O'Mahony spoke about the €82 million allocated for roads in Cork. I appreciate what she is saying. It sounds like a large amount of money, and it is, with record funding going to roads, but I appreciate that, in a county as large as Cork where roads are well traversed and there is, given streams and the coast, a great deal of water, there is difficulty in trying to get as much bang for your buck as possible. We need a debate on the allocation of funding. Yesterday, I mentioned that some of the funding was also for the rehabilitation of bridges, with a small amount for footpaths. We need to have separate allocations for those. We will look for a debate on the allocation of roads funding.

Senator Mullen, while also speaking about the situation in the US, spoke about the need for value for money. That is important. Oversight of taxpayers' money is important. The PAC plays an important role in that regard. Unfortunately, while we have the ongoing row about speaking rights in the Lower House, we cannot allocate people or Chairs to committees. Committees, including the PAC, cannot get their valuable work done. That is regrettable because the sooner we can get into that, the better. Senator Mullen mentioned the lack of transparency. We all hear about the buildings and various small projects that have gone over budget. We need to hear about them, but we also need to hear about those that have come in on time and on budget. There are a number of those projects as well.