Wicklow Sinn Féin TD John Brady has said he is honoured to have been appointed as Chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), vowing to hold the government and state bodies to account over how taxpayers’ money is spent.
Deputy Brady said the PAC is one of the most important and influential committees in the Dáil, with a critical role in scrutinising public expenditure and exposing waste, overspending and mismanagement.
“I’m honoured to have been appointed as Chair of the Public Accounts Committee. It’s a role I take extremely seriously. I’m humbled that Mary Lou McDonald has placed her trust in me to lead this work in the term ahead, and I intend to ensure the PAC is as effective, focused, and robust as it can be,” he said.
“The public deserve to have full confidence that the taxes they pay are being spent properly and delivering real value. Far too often, we see the exact opposite — shocking waste, mismanagement, and zero accountability.”
Brady, who served on the PAC in the last Dáil, said he was proud to have helped expose the financial scandal at RTÉ and the colossal mismanagement of the National Children’s Hospital project. He said the need for accountability has only grown.
“In just the past year, we’ve seen €336,000 spent on a bike shed, €1.4 million on a security hut, nearly €500,000 on a perimeter wall, €7 million wasted by the Arts Council on a failed IT project, and €7 million lost by the HSE for not paying their bills on time. And let’s not forget the €1.5 billion overspend on the Children’s Hospital – still rising, still without accountability.
“This is taxpayers’ money. People are sick to their stomachs watching Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and the state agencies under their watch burn through it with no consequences. The culture of waste and unaccountability must stop.”
Brady said his focus as Chair will be ensuring strong, independent oversight and delivering accountability that has been missing for far too long.
“The PAC will not be a rubber stamp. It will be a watchdog. I intend to ask the hard questions, to follow the money, and to push for real consequences when things go wrong. We owe that to every taxpayer in this country.”
“There’s important work ahead, and I’m looking forward to getting stuck in. I intend to work constructively with all committee members to ensure the PAC delivers what the public expects – transparency, scrutiny, and accountability at the very heart of government.” Ends
For more information contact: Deputy John Brady 085-8546464