I will give the Minister's time back.
Sentiment score: 0.00
I ask that Deputies stay within the time limit.
Sentiment score: 0.00
I remind Deputies that only one person is to stand in the Chamber at a time.
Sentiment score: 0.00
79. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to provide some details on the work his accelerating infrastructure task force will be undertaking; what we can expect by way of the reports it will produce; and the assurances in place that the recommendations it makes will be acted upon. [27880/25]
Sentiment score: 0.11
After those remarks, I must state that it is important the record has been corrected. I would hope that all Members carry our history with them when they make contributions and understand that there are families who can be impacted. It is important for us all to realise the importance of our words. My question relates to the accelerating infrastructure task force. What can we expect by way of the reports it will produce and how can we be assured that the recommendations it makes will be acted upon?
Sentiment score: 0.30
The reason I asked this question is because in recent years various different task forces and expert groups have been set up. We have the construction sector group, for example. I was quite puzzled as to why this new group had to be set up as opposed to its members just being added to the construction sector group. As we know, that expert group was set up to help tackle the housing crisis. I read some of its reports - they were excellent - but I never really saw how its recommendations were translated into Government policy. I am a bit worried that the new task force will go the same way. In other words, that there will be some good reports, committee appearances and fanfare but little follow-through. Will the Minister provide specifics as to how any recommendations will carry over into Government policy or legislation? As he knows, there are no serviced sites in south Conamara. This is an incredibly important issue we need to tackle. I want to see actual progress resulting from these reports.
Sentiment score: 0.01
I hope this works, but the proof of the pudding will be in the eating. I am worried that the task force will become a place where things are said and reports are written, but that nothing will come from this. Of course, it is important to listen to expert recommendations and bring them together. Some incredibly good reports have been published. In that context, we could fill the House with excellent reports. However, these reports are never actioned. That is the issue. I want to ensure that the task force does not become some kind of a holding excuse and that it will actually bring forward recommendations that will mean we can tackle the relevant issues. The Minister said he is going to bring some of the recommendations forward in the summer. In six months' time, we will have a good idea of what is happening in terms of a progress update. While the Minister has made this task force a signature initiative, we need to make sure something is done in respect of the recommendations it puts forward. Other groups have made recommendations and either nothing came of them or the Government did not listen. We need to ensure that, as in the case of Conamara, there will be serviced sites and whatever else is needed,
Sentiment score: 0.28
81. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform his plans to reform the OPW following the latest report from an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27881/25]
Sentiment score: 0.01
This relates to the latest Deloitte report into the OPW. Will the Minister of State outline how he plans to reform the organisation and what his future steps will be in that regard? There was huge outcry when people saw the bike shelter and the cost of it at €336,000. You would get an ambulance for that price on Inisheer, which does not have an ambulance.
Sentiment score: -0.06
There are a number of reasons it is important to raise this. We have been talking about reports that were not acted upon, and I hope it will not be the same in this case. Although Deloitte's report is the latest one, it is not the first report on the OPW. We had damning report in 2014. That was an external London-based firm. Following that, there was a "Prime Time" special, PAC hearings and other examples of failure to get value for money. In 2022 we had another review; this time it was an internal Government study into how much money was spent on the portfolio. It looked at five buildings to compare rental costs with either purchasing or constructing an equivalent building. In all cases looked at, it was found to be much cheaper to build or to buy. In other words, they keep making wrong decisions when it comes to getting value for money. We are obviously talking here about the bike shelter. I see what the Minister of State says about guidance for projects under €500,000. Does he have full confidence this will be acted upon and that exactly how the OPW spends money will be looked at?
Sentiment score: 0.07
My question is on what actual reform we will see taking place in the OPW. I am sure the Minister of State is against these overspends and I take it he was not in office at the time but it has continued over a number of years and there have been reports over a number of years. What reform will take place in the OPW? Does the Minister of State have confidence it can properly manage its property? Is its property management function working? Does the Minister of State have confidence in it? What exactly will change organisationally? We hear about the bike shelter and it causes huge public anger, understandably, but often we only get this information because somebody like Ken Foxe puts in an FOI request and successfully gets the FOI request returned. We need to look at it in its entirety. How could we change what is happening in the OPW?
Sentiment score: 0.22