Political Reaction: The latest report of Mr John Purcell raised "serious accountability issues" for the Government, the chairman of the Dáil Committee of Public Accounts claimed yesterday.
Fine Gael TD Mr John Perry said the report shed light on lapses in financial control, poor project management, inadequate planning and the absence of proper procedures in several Government Departments.
"This is despite the fact that the public service has invested millions of taxpayers' money in purchasing financial systems and information communications technology systems."
Published yesterday, the report examined the performance of the Revenue Commissioners and the Government's stewardship of electronic voting, the penalty points system and several other projects.
Labour's finance spokeswoman, Ms Joan Burton, said she was surprised to read that only six revenue cases went to court in 2003. "Fines were imposed in five cases, and a suspended jail sentence in the other," she said.
"This is in stark contrast to the situation in regard to social welfare fraud, where in 2003 the authorities took more than 200 cases to court, as a result of which 11 people were jailed and a further 17 received suspended sentences."
Fine Gael's finance spokesman Mr Richard Bruton said the report proved that incompetence and waste characterised the performance of the Government.
"Today's report now adds in the folly of multi-million budget day decisions on a series of marinas around the country, a €50 million e-voting gamble rammed through without necessary checks and reviews taking place, and cameras designed to catch speeding drivers failing to work properly in half of all cases."
