Chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Sinn Féin TD John Brady, has called for full transparency from Skillnet Ireland and the Department of Further and Higher Education following reports that allegations of improper use of public funds and noncompliance with legal obligations have been referred to a number of authorities.
Information provided to the PAC confirmed that an investigation by Skillnet Ireland upheld a number of allegations relating to the operation of one of its business networks, originally raised in a protected disclosure in September 2023. Reports arising from that investigation were sent to An Garda Síochána, the Revenue Commissioners, and the Corporate Enforcement Authority in January 2026.
Teachta Brady said:
“It is deeply concerning that allegations of the improper use of public money and failures to meet legal obligations within one of Skillnet Ireland’s business networks have been escalated to these bodies.
“Notably, this escalation only took place following advice from the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG), which raises significant questions about the procedures in place within Skillnet Ireland.
“It is also very worrying to learn that the Skillnet Ireland investigation was significantly constrained due to persistent non-cooperation by the contracting organisation, including the refusal to provide key financial records and the refusal of relevant individuals to participate.
“Given that Skillnet Ireland has been allocated €56 million in public funding for 2026, there is a clear obligation on both the organisation and the Department to ensure the highest standards of governance, transparency and accountability are upheld.
“The fact that more than two years on from these issues first arising, we have very limited information in relation to this issue, and we are still hearing about reviews of procedures rather than implementation of stronger safeguards is simply not good enough.
“This reinforces the need for full transparency on this issue from both Skillnet Ireland and the Department.
“Within the correspondence, reference is made to a redacted report provided to the Department – the Committee must be given full sight of this.
“We also need clarity on whether funding to the organisation in question was immediately suspended when these allegations were first made.
“The public deserves clarity and full transparency on these issues.
“The PAC will be calling Skillnet Ireland before the committee at the earliest opportunity to pursue these matters until satisfactory answers are provided.”