Chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Sinn Féin TD John Brady, challenged the Taoiseach to deliver on long-awaited reforms to the powers and remit of both the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Comptroller & Auditor General (C&AG) at a special meeting of the Working Group of Committee Cathaoirligh.
Addressing the Taoiseach, Teachta Brady said:
“The public has been rightly outraged by the countless recent examples of wasteful spending of taxpayers’ money.
“Whether it be financial scandals at RTÉ, runaway ICT costs, security huts, bike shelters, the list goes on and on.
“These individual incidents have highlighted a general need to strengthen how this State oversees the spending of public funds.
“Our statutory framework for the C&AG is outdated, and inhibits the ability of the Public Accounts Committee to play its role as watchdog on public spending.
“The 2020 independent peer review made it clear that limits on the C&AG’s powers and independence must be removed.
“We need to operate on a genuine “follow the money” principle, removing the 50% threshold that blocks inspections of many government funded bodies.
“All bodies in receipt of public funds, including local authorities and commercial semi-state entities should fall fully under the audit remit of the C&AG.
“PAC must also have an expanded and clearer role, empowered to act swiftly on C&AG findings, to conduct follow-up inquiries, and to hold any publicly funded body fully to account.
“Oversight should be proactive, not reactive.
“Reform is urgently needed if we are to be enabled to effectively hold those in receipt of public money to account.
“Since 2020 the Government have sat on the recommendations of the External Peer Review, which implemented would provide more efficiencies, oversight and accountability with the public finances.
“Government must implement the suite of reforms recommended in the 2020 independent peer review of the C&AG as a matter of priority.
“The Government must also honour their clear commitment to bring RTÉ under the remit of the C&AG, as well as expanding the remit of the C&AG and PAC to enable oversight of all publicly funded bodies.”
Ends