Martin and Farrell clash over public spending

By Cillian Sherlock, PA

The Tánaiste has clashed with Sinn Féin’s Mairead Farrell over what she described as “astonishing” waste in Government spending.

Ms Farrell said the Government finds it “incredibly easy to squander taxpayers’ hard-earned money”.

While noting recent incidents in which the price of modular homes for Ukrainians had soared and the Office of Public Works (OPW) spent €336,000 on a bike shelter at Leinster House, she particularly focused on health.

Addressing Micheál Martin in the Dáil, she said: “Don’t even get me started on the most expensive hospital in the world. The debacle surrounding massive mind-boggling cost overruns and never-ending delays at the National Children’s Hospital is a tale of incompetence for the history books.”

The Galway West TD said another six HSE construction projects have run over budget to the “grand tune of €17 million”.

Speaking during Leaders’ Questions, Ms Farrell said each of the projects was initially costed at €10 million but has since overrun.

These include a community nursing unit over budget by nearly €6 million in Mr Martin’s home county of Cork, and a radiation oncology building over budget by €4.16 million in her own home city of Galway.

She said a ward block at the Mercy Hospital in Cork was over budget by €2.72 million, while a residential care unit in Tuam, Co Galway, was over budget by €2.38 million.

Ms Farrell said a critical care unit at Tallaght Hospital in Dublin was over budget by €2.23 million, and a ward block in St Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny, was nearly half a million over projected costs.

She said the overspends were reported in The Medical Times.

Ms Farrell said each of the projects was “extremely important” but claimed the Government was “incapable” of delivering projects on time and on budget.

“Waste and incompetence in the use of public money is the hallmark of this Government, and it has to stop.”

Mr Martin, a former health minister, said he did not agree with the “overall narrative” put forward by Ms Farrell.

The Fianna Fáil leader said the Government had delivered “probably the most extensive” building of public facilities, including schools and hospital facilities.

“We’ve provided thousands of beds now in our healthcare sector since this Government was formed, the vast majority on time and within budget.”

He added that the war in Ukraine and the Covid-19 pandemic had caused inflation in the construction sector.

“We’re fundamentally committed to value for money. The Comptroller and Auditor General is there, the Public Accounts Committee is there.

“That’s part of our system in terms of vigorously examining public expenditure.”

Ms Farrell, who has been put forward as Sinn Féin’s nominee to chair the Public Accounts Committee following Brian Stanley’s resignation from the party, accused Mr Martin of “talking down the clock” and avoiding the questions.

“I’d ask you to answer the questions – it’s Leaders’ Questions.”

Among other infrastructure projects, Mr Martin cited the development of schools and roads in and around Cork.

Ms Farrell suggested his mentions of projects in his home area were due to a forthcoming election.