Chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Sinn Féin TD John Brady has described as “deeply concerning” revelations that the former Chairman of the Office of Public Works (OPW), Maurice Buckley, ignored official advice and attended a training course in Paris which cost the taxpayer circa €40,000.
New correspondence provided to PAC by the OPW shows that the cost of the course to the state was €33,718 and associated travel and subsistence amounted to €6,182. The correspondence also outlines how the HR unit advised the former Chairman of a number of concerns relating to him attending the course, but he still took the decision to attend.
Teachta Brady said:
“This new information is deeply concerning and paints an extraordinary picture of how decisions are made on spending within the OPW.
“Despite valid concerns being raised by the HR unit within the OPW regarding the cost of the programme, the associated travel and subsistence costs, the time away from the office and the short term left on his contract, the former Chairman still proceeded with an expensive training course paid for by the taxpayer.
“The fact that such valid concerns were so easily dismissed points to a worrying culture where internal controls appear to be ignored.
“Is it any wonder that we have seen so many other examples of wasteful spending within the OPW, the €336,000 bicycle shed, the €1.4 million security hut, the list goes on.
“It beggars belief that the former Chairman had the authority to sign off on such expenditure unilaterally.
“Where was the Minister’s oversight of the OPW in this case, and in other instances of serious and wasteful misuse of public funds?
“The Minister must also state clearly whether this matter was raised with him at the time.
“As Chair of PAC, I will also be writing to all Secretaries General of government departments for information relating to training courses that they have undertaken, and the approval process involved in funding being granted.
“It cannot continue to be the case, as suggested in the correspondence from the OPW, that the approval for attendance at such programmes rests with the relevant Department or Office – and in the case of Secretaries General, the approval, in practice, rests with the Secretary General.
“PAC will continue to pursue these matters until this information is provided and satisfactory funding approval processes are in place in every Department.”
ENDS