Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 424: To ask the Minister for Transport the number of contracts or procurements funded directly or indirectly by his Department during the past seven years in respect of which cost overruns have occurred; the full extent of such overruns; the cause or causes of same; the action taken to prevent a reoccurrence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4549/04]

Séamus Brennan (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)
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Procurement arrangements, contracts and the delivery of capital infrastructure are primarily the responsibility of the State bodies under the aegis of my Department. These bodies comply with the requirements of the code of practice for the governance of State bodies, including conformity with the guidelines for the appraisal and management of capital expenditure in the public sector.

My Department has in place an investment monitoring unit charged with overseeing the financial and physical progress of rail and bus infrastructure projects and ensuring the effective and timely financial reporting of capital expenditure by the CIE group of companies to the Department. The investment monitoring unit also engages consultants to carry out an audit of expenditure claims submitted to the Department seeking draw down of exchequer and EU funding under the National Development Plan 2000-2006.

The implementation of the national roads and public transport investment programmes is further monitored by my Department through the monitoring committee of the economic and social infrastructure OP which is representative of Government Departments, implementing agencies and social partners and which meets twice yearly to consider progress reports on the implementation of the investment programmes.

If the Deputy has any concern about a particular programme of expenditure under my Department's aegis I would be happy to provide him with the details involved.