Sinn Féin TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire has said that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil cannot be trusted with taxpayers’ money.

Deputy Ó Laoghaire was responding after a Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) report found that the cost of modular homes for housing Ukranians doubled to €442,000 each, despite initially being projected to cost €200,000 per unit.

He said there is no leadership from Simon Harris’ government who refuse to take responsibility for the squandering of public money under their watch, adding that if you wasted money in your job like that you would be sacked.

Teachta Ó Laoghaire said:

“Here we go again. The incompetence of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil is off the charts. They simply cannot be trusted with taxpayers’ money.

“Simon Harris’ government has presided over the most expensive hospital in the world, the most expensive bike shed in the world and the most expensive security hut in the world.

“Today, we have learned of yet another project on their watch where the cost has doubled – they have squandered taxpayers’ money on modular homes that cost an eye-watering €442,000 each.

“These homes were intended to be delivered as a low-cost option, to be delivered quickly and cheaply, so the mind boggles that it has ended up costing as much as it would cost to build a three-bedroom house.

“We know from speaking to people involved in the modular homes industry that such units can be delivered for approximately €200,000, so it is completely unjustifiable that these units have ended up costing twice as much.

“Yet again the issue here is the government’s waste and failure to deliver value for money.

“We recognise that people who are fleeing conflict need protection and decent accommodation. But there is absolutely no justification for this level of wastage – or the failures in tendering and contracting that has led to modular homes costing twice as much as they should.

“There is no leadership from Simon Harris’ government – they refuse to take responsibility for the squandering of public money under their watch.

“The €2.2bn Children’s Hospital was someone else’s fault. The €336,000 bike shed was someone else’s fault. The €1.4m security hut was someone else’s fault. I presume forking out €442,000 on modular homes will be someone else’s fault now too.

“This isn’t monopoly money. It is hard-earned taxpayers’ money that must be used wisely. If you wasted money in your job like that you would be sacked.

“We need a change of government that delivers value for money – this obscene waste cannot continue.”