Aontú have tabled an amendment to the government counter motion on tackling wasteful spending which would introduce a penalty against senior civil servants who are involved in wasteful spending of public money.
Speaking today, party leader Peadar Tóibín TD said:
“It was very shocking to see in the Dáil today Independent government Ministers such as Boxer Moran defending the spending on the bike shed, security hut and the twelve years it taking to build the Great Wall of Tara. It’s bad enough that the government is wasting billions out of taxpayers money, but now they’re defending the indefensible. Aontú have tabled and moved an amendment to the motion before the Dáil today which will be voted on tonight”.
Deputy Tóibín continued: “Our amendment will seek a disciplinary process for senior civil servants for instances of repeated waste of public funds. We’re also looking for protection of the public purse to be written into the contracts of senior civil servants. There should be a Junior Minister for Accountability nominated and located within the Office of the Taoiseach to track live procurement and infrastructural projects to ensure they don’t go over budget and are delivered on time, to report to the Taoiseach on a weekly basis in terms of accountability. Its a very reasonable amendment to the government’s counter motion, and I would urge the government to support it”.
“I have to say I am disappointed in the Independent TDs in government who are today defending the many repeated instances of waste. Many of these independents were shouting loud about the issue of waste when they were in opposition, and during the election campaign and have now done a 360 on the issue of waste. What we need to remember is that waste in one area limits the government’s ability to spend in another – there is a direct correlation between outrageous overspends on certain projects and the outrageous under funding of our health service and our housing crisis”, concluded Tóibín.
ENDS
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AONTÚ AMENDMENT:
To delete all words after “notes that:” and replace with the following:
“There needs to be a disciplinary process for senior civil servants for instances of repeated waste of public funds.
Accountability needs to be written into the contracts of senior civil servants.
There should be a Junior Minister for Accountability nominated and located within the Office of the Taoiseach to track live procurement and infrastructural projects to ensure they don’t go over budget and are delivered on time, to report to the Taoiseach on a weekly basis in terms of accountability.”
Peadar Tóibín TD
Paul Lawless TD,
