Mattie McGrath criticises COVID spending and calls for accountability
Mattie McGrath criticised COVID spending as wasteful and lacking accountability, and pressed the Minister on uncertain funding for supports for over-70s. He raised concerns about millions spent without tenders or proper appropriation, PPA equipment being dumped, and the need to halt further expenditure.
Spending criticised
McGrath described the pandemic-era expenditure as "waste" and "money that's been fired in." He told the Minister that millions had been spent with "no shortage of money, no tenders, no appropriation," and warned that PPA equipment had been left dumped at doors.
Concerns about supports for older people
He urged clarity on funding for a cohort of over-70s who have "paid their service to the state," saying he expected the Minister would return to the House to seek money and debate eligibility and limits. McGrath said he had received a PQ and acknowledged a two million payment but warned the broader funding position remained uncertain.
Call for a spending pause and accountability
McGrath repeatedly asked for restraints on ongoing expenditure, saying "stall the horses now, pull the reins, please, and stop this mindless spending." He argued there was "no accountability in it" and urged the Minister to stop the unchecked daily outflow of funds unless a second massive wave necessitated it.
Request for clarification and unresolved remarks
He thanked the Minister for clarification but said he was "surprised and disappointed," asking for further explanation about whether the budget would allow additional measures. The closing exchange includes a request for a minute to clarify and some transcribed Q&A that appears garbled, leaving parts of the discussion unclear.
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Yes, I certainly am thankful for the Minister for his clarification, but I'm very surprised and disappointed. We all accept that we're in a COVID situation and I addressed this earlier in my remarks, Minister, about the waste, the sure waste. It's money that's been fired in. I have nothing to tell me that they can't turn away or they can't deal with the PPA equipment. They've been dumped at the doors now. I have a situation, I have the PQ back for you only last week, I haven't got the whole idea, but millions upon millions upon millions upon millions. No shortage of money, no tenders, no appropriation. We knew there was an emergency, yes, but I asked you in my early maths to call a heart to this. And now you tell us that the budget probably won't allow, that's what I understand you said. I thought, as you said, that you'd have to come back to the House again because you've come back already and I've got two million, I appreciate that. Different times, that's what I thought you said, that you said that you'd have to come back to this House again to debate and you would be fighting in government to find the money to deal with this cohort of people, over 70s, who have paid their service to the state or many of them get 50 years working and paying the stamps and peer sign and everything else and they got a bit of breathing space we taught in the budget with the criteria as it has the funding eligibility and the limits. And now, you can correct me if I'm wrong, I understand what you said, that you don't know if you can do that, it depends on the circumstances, the finances and you lobbying that government. I'll be very disappointed if that's the situation. But please, again, try and put some reins on the spending that they went off on because it's going on every day. I have every kind of institution in my own county and around the country, it's mind-boggling the money that's being thrown at it. Were there any accountability or any need for this stage, unless we get a second massive wave, but I'm not saying the need wasn't there at first and the panic wasn't there, we all supported it. But it needs to be stopped, stall the horses now, pull the reins, please, and stop this mindless spending. It's crazy. There's no accountability in it. Maybe a minute I could clarify if I understood them right. Deputy Gould Q&A Do we have a chance to spend a lot of money on 위해서 four hours? No, I don't know whatever you want to spend a lot of money on this time? Can we swipe up and activate your number four hours?
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