O'Brien criticises Fine Gael junior ministers on OPW overspend
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Fianna Fáil's Darragh O'Brien has criticised two junior Fine Gael ministers for failing to answer questions on controversial overspends within the Office of Public Works (OPW).
Speaking after Taoiseach Simon Harris said he would abolish the OPW if re-elected, Mr O'Brien said this was not the correct approach to take following recent controversies over how public money was spent.
"Abolishing a department doesn't change the ethos or process," Mr O'Brien said. "There are questions there that, I put it to you, still need to be answered."
Referring to the €336k Leinster House bike shed and the €1.4m security hut, the outgoing housing minister said the public never got an answer from the ministers who were responsible for the OPW at the time — Patrick O'Donovan and Kieran O'Donnell.
"I do think it is fair. I answer questions for housing, heritage, local government, planning, and rightly so," the Fianna Fáil TD said.
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Eleven days out from the general election, Mr O'Brien was speaking at a press conference held to interrogate Sinn Féin's housing plan which was published over two months ago. Mr O'Brien said:
He claimed that banks have voiced "major concerns" about the Sinn Féin proposals and said the costings do not take account of €6.1bn worth of mortgages that it will "effectively" guarantee.
Mr O'Brien said he has asked Eoin Ó Broin whether Sinn Féin actually submitted documentation or answered the banks' concerns and "he won't answer that question".
Sinn Féin were accused of "going to ground" and avoiding questions put to them about their alternative housing plan.
Mr O'Brien also warned that a Sinn Féin government would be a "massive shock" internationally to investors saying that as the Trump administration comes in economic management is going to become "incredibly important".
He said there are potentially "very choppy waters ahead" and voters are aware of this but said the decision being put to them is whether they want someone experienced like Micheál Martin to lead or "do we want to risk it with a far-left coalition that is anti-trade?"
"Sinn Féin could blow the economy up," Mr O'Brien said, "Unquestionably."
Pearse Doherty is "taking the economy for granted" assuming that there will always be surpluses to work with while Fianna Fáil have been prudent and forward thinking with their proposals, Ms O'Brien said.