7. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation the way in which the incorrectly spelled new sign outside his Department came to be put in place; the total cost of the sign; the estimated cost for the removal and a replacement sign; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60171/25]

Sentiment score: 0.01

I wish to ask the Minister about the way in which the incorrectly spelled new sign outside his Department came to be put in place, what the total cost of the sign was and the estimated cost for its removal and replacement. I hope the cost is at the lower end. Nobody has made more mistakes than me, and I know a printer who often said, “I print what I am given”, but we would need to see checks and balances. We do not want to see issues like this arise in the future.

Sentiment score: 0.17

It cost €8,460 but there was no added cost because the mistake was at the supplier’s end. I suppose that answers the question. Obviously, there are wider questions on Government spending. These questions, concerning bike sheds, IT systems and the Revenue bill in the Minister’s Department, have almost been done to death here. We must spend public money wisely and have more checks and balances than existed in the past. I am very glad nobody in the Department was responsible for the signage error. I would not like to have been responsible myself. Obviously, we are talking about something that is costly. I can work on the basis that the Minister sent the printer the correct name and it printed it incorrectly. It was rather costly for it. Could the Minister speak about the due diligence needed to ensure less public waste than we have seen previously?

Sentiment score: -0.05

I hope it was not ominous that it was "Infrastructure" that was spelt incorrectly. I think it was missing an "r". I welcome what the Minister has said. There are many public servants doing really good work. Generally, what we are asking in here is that public procurement and planning work better and in a more streamlined way so we can see the delivery of more projects. I accept that checks and balances can sometimes slow things. We have heard what was said by Mr. Collison and others and we need a balance between having checks and balances and being able to deliver quickly. Sometimes when going through public procurement, suppliers take into account who is paying, and that needs to be pushed back on. Again, however, it is a matter of streamlining and ensuring everything happens fast, because we know the issues that exist, particularly regarding electricity, water and other major infrastructural projects that need to be completed.

Sentiment score: 0.26