Mattie McGrath: 'Daylight robbery' in public contracts
Mattie McGrath speaks to a parliamentary debate on a timely bill, warning of systemic waste and failed procurement that he says have shattered the social contract. He cites inflated costs for modular housing, concerns about the Children’s Hospital contract, and undue influence from outside groups as central problems.
Main allegations and examples: Mattie McGrath outlines recent procurement cases he calls alarming, including modular units that he says should cost around 80,000 but are being charged at much higher national averages. He highlights a local Clonmel contract he says rose from an assured 200,000 to near 496,000 and labels the situation "an abomination."
Procurement and infrastructure: McGrath criticises the writing of legislation on critical infrastructure by those he says are beholden to the same interests that benefit from inflated contracts. He raises the Children’s Hospital contract as an example and argues that the current setup allows private interests and certain NGOs to shape policy at the expense of accountability.
Economic context and public trust: He places recent developments in a longer economic history, referencing the country’s EU membership and past financial crises, and warns of renewed pressure from international actors over tax and spending. McGrath frames the issue as a breach of the social contract, pointing to cost-of-living protests and public anger at perceived waste.
Local communities and energy projects: The speech also touches on community tensions around large-scale energy and waste projects, including biodigesters and solar developments, which McGrath says are driven by big companies insensitive to local concerns. He urges a reorientation toward practical skills, community engagement, and stricter oversight of public spending.
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Go raibh maith agat, I'm delighted to speak on this bill. I believe it's a good and timely debate, which is badly, badly needed here in our country. I mean, look, we think back to the pioneering days of Sean Lamassen, TK Whittaker, what they could do and what they did, and the vision they had and the passion and the integrity that they had, and how, to some extent, you know, we've evolved from that, and of course we joined the EU and loads of money, and we crashed the economy, not once, twice, and we had the IMF in here, and they actually are making soundings again this week, which is terrifying people, that property tax should be increased, and indeed, you know, do we have to rein in, you know, our spending, and we have to, you know, stop the reliance on data centres and all those kind of companies and outlets. So, I also want to say, look, there's a social contract with the people, and that's been shattered, utterly shattered. And we saw that recently with the protests about the cost of living and fuel, and ordinary people, hard-working minnows filling the hares and the bookleavers, calling in the efficient, they all come out because they've just had enough's enough, and they can't cope, and they see the waste, and I won't even mention the small items that were mentioned already, there were news headlines here last year about different items, but I mention every day, every day, the week's spending that's going on, and no accountability whatsoever. Take the Ukrainian housing, I'm not saying the Ukrainian housing, but 11 contracts, 11 sites, by one company, a CISC company, and I can only speak for the whole country, they've now cost, for a modular unit worth about, max, 80,000, they've now cost 450,000 nationally. Daylight robbery, in Clonmel, my own place, where I sat down with the company, OPW, the integration team, I was guaranteed it wouldn't cost a penny more than 200,000. Everything included, because I knew the site myself, and to find out that it cost 496,000, and it's not the final bill yet. It's just an abomination, that's only one area. And widespread, Children's Hospital, which I agreed with my group to stop it and put it out into the M50. We knew the contract was written to rob the state, so, we have the critical infrastructure bill, yes, but the same people, unfortunately, are writing up those legislation. The people that have lost their way, that can't see outside the box, that are blinkered, and then we have the legions, and battalions of NGOs, who are running around government buildings here, in front of ministers, behind ministers, and have their ear on our dictating policy and legislation. And I think that that is just a simple outrage, that that's happening. So, we've completely lost our way. Education skills, we have great educated people here, but we need to re-skill for more trades and for more practical work. And the wind energy and the whole solar, why is it all big companies that are coming into communities doing these? And biodigesters, CRH, trying to do a big one near Torlice, in Tipperary. And, sorry, not in Torlice, it's the site of the old beet factory, the lime plant in Killoch. And they are antagonising people, because they have money, and they see nothing but money and greed. And they don't want to respect communities, or won't engage with communities, and try to reform them. So, there's a lot of work to be done here, the sun is shining and the hay is to be made, but the hay being made. Thank you. Thank you.
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