Ireland doesn’t need an Elon Musk department in Government says Laois TD

LAOIS Independent Republican TD Brian Stanley, while speaking in the Dáil on a debate on Public Expenditure said: “While we need to stop the waste of taxpayers’ money, we don’t need another Government Department run by an Elon Musk.” 

Deputy Stanley said: “As somebody who comes from a left, republican position, I believe in good public services. But I also believe in spending public money very well. We need to stop waste. Although those of us on the left advocate spending public money and creating good public services, it does not mean that we support the wasting of public money. That is the difference. Every euro of taxpayer’s money must be spent well.”

 “However, bringing in an Elon Musk or Michael O’Leary to run the show and oversee it will bring chaos. We are watching that in one of the largest economies in the world, never mind the chaos it would cause in our small country.” 

He said: “The examples of waste are shocking. We can list off a dozen including the security hut. Some stuff I saw during my time as chairperson of the Public Accounts was absolutely shocking.

“Projects are being held up in the constituency of Laois. We need new health centres all over the place. We do not even have a primary care centre in Portlaoise, which is a town with a population bigger than Kilkenny city because of this kind of waste and incompetence. We should have good public services and we should spend the money on them. The public will back that. The public generally has no problem paying tax.”