Keeping tabs on public purse

IN business, there's an old saying that turnover is vanity and profit is sanity.

It's a message the Government would do well to remember from now on, according to Fine Gael TD John Perry.

Doubtless, there is more money going through the economy in recent times than at any point in the history of the State, but doubts do remain over whether the country is getting value for money.

The head of the powerful taxpayer's watchdog, the Public Accounts Committee, feels the post-boom tight exchequer finances make it imperative that money is spent wisely.

"The success of the Irish economy in the coming years will come from the management of funds. The profit of the economy will be based on how best to ensure we get a better return, high productivity and value for money," he said.

"This committee's job is to take the waste out of the economy. From my experience there seems to be an outrageous amount of waste in public expenditure."

The Public Accounts Committee can't comment upon Government policy or its merits but it can pass judgement and scrutinise how taxpayers' money is spent and put a marker down about future expenditure.

"I think there is a massive responsibility on secretaries general to ensure their organisations are lean and mean. We will stand for no inefficiencies in any way, shape or form. We are going to be quite ruthless with every department," he says.

With less money to be doled out to the ever-increasing demands of the public services, Mr Perry feels Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy has reached the threshold in terms of the obtainable amount of revenue and so the absolute maximum has to be obtained from what's available.

He says: "Where there was unprecedented cash available up to now, those golden days are gone. Ireland's success in the 21st century will be based on the ability to manage our finances.

"The obtainable figure is what's there for the next three to four years. The take is coming down and the extra resources are now coming from indirect taxation. The success of the Irish economy in the coming years will be in the management of funds."

Enjoying the experience of scrutinising the public accounts, Mr Perry wants to see as many departments and agencies as possible come before his committee.

He also wants to see a far greater number of value-for-money audits conducted to ensure the expenditure is reaping the rewards.

He says: "It is a wonderful opportunity in one sense in that it gives you experience across every department. Clearly, at the moment, accountability and value for money will be critical. People have an obvious reluctance to paying high tax if it's going to be spent unwisely.

"That's why I believe there should be a cost benefit analysis done on most major projects to see has the expenditure developed the correct result."

Not surprisingly, with spending hitting 11 billion and rising all the time, the next area to come under the intense scrutiny of the PAC will be the health sector.

The chairman plans to haul in the heads of the country's 11 health boards to explain the miscalculations of the number of existing and potential medical card holders in the country.

The chief executive officers will be back again to go through their annual budgets, the secretary general of the Department of Health will be quizzed about the huge risk being taken by the State in providing indemnity cover for consultants and the financial status of the Blood Transfusion Service Board will also be examined.

"It would be my intention to hold the CEOs accountable for their budget and their administration of resources in their health board area," he says.

"There is no point in coming out with a global attack. I believe in giving credit where credit is due but people in positions of high responsibility need to take the heat as well."

Elected to the Dáil in 1997 at his first attempt, the former Sligo Person of the Year took the seat vacated by former Junior Minister and RTÉ current affairs presenter Ted Nealon.

Consolidating his electoral base, in 1999 he won a seat on Sligo County Council and though he came in second in the general election behind Independent candidate Marian Harkin, it wasn't enough to hold on to the second seat held by Gerry Reynolds on the Leitrim side of the constituency.

Coming a business background, Mr Perry has strongly argued for the development of Sligo, calling for improvements in infrastructure and decentralisation to the north-west.

This business background permeates a lot of John Perry's outlook and he's an advocate of supporting small businesses.

"It's important the Government realises how important it is to encourage small enterprise in every town and village in the country," he says.

Indeed, at a party political level, Mr Perry believes Fine Gael can learn a lot from the business world in terms of the way it conducts its affairs.

In fact, the FG director of organisation believes last Summer's disastrous election result was potentially the best alarm call the party every got.

Far from going further downhill, he believes 400,000 voters, 20,000 members and 280 county councillors is a solid base to build upon.

Yet he's also honest about Fine Gael's organisation, admitting the party is attempting to go from the third division to the first in terms of their professionalism.

"This is a huge opportunity for the party and the leadership of Enda Kenny and the team attitude he brings to the party is hugely important.

Fine Gael has to become totally professional in everything we do. What we are doing is moving into the first division.

"The Government has a considerably advantage in terms of the amount of PR and spin they have. Compared to that the level of resources available to other parties are non-existent really.

At the moment, a Junior Minister has six civil servants looking after their constituency work. That shows what an uphill struggle we have."

Realistic nonetheless about the task facing Fine Gael as it attempts to get back into government or even to return to its previous strength, Mr Perry believes the reaction on the ground and the unrest among the electorate augers well for their challenge.

He says: "People want to be told it as it is and they want to be told the truth. The public are seeing the necessity of an alternative.

"The ball is in the Fine Gael court now to ensure that in every area we oppose the Government. The market share is out there and if we get 32% of the vote we would certainly be in the next Government.

"I think what is very evident at the moment is we have to be a very outward-looking party to appeal to the public.

"We would like to see ourselves as one of the most professional parties of the 21st century."

Having taken complete stock of the party, Mr Perry believes to rebuild it is a case of getting the homework done, delegating responsibility by conscientiously appointing people to key positions and then not meddling in how these people conduct their business.

He says: "Lets be honest. I am convinced Enda Kenny will be the next Taoiseach of the country.

"He has a huge capability and electoral appeal. He creates an impression on everyone that he meets.

"What I see in Enda Kenny is a burning ambition to win. That will become far more apparent in the years to come."