A detailed Dáil report into the garda college financial scandal is set to be published next Tuesday — and will severely criticise garda commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan over her handling of the affair.

The State’s financial watchdog will stand over his investigation into Nama’s highly criticised €1.3bn Project Eagle today and defend the expertise used to probe the agency’s actions.

Commercial confidentiality was used to hide deals involving the former Anglo Irish Bank which caused grave concern to civil servants, the Dáil heard.

None of the Irish people identified as the owners of alleged tax dodging accounts at the Swiss branch of HSBC availed of two separate Government tax amnesties which gave them a chance to come clean over the practices.

A second Garda report into penalty point terminations has said that the centralised office in charge of cancellations was “operating effectively” and that confidence could be placed in it.

The whistleblower civil servant who alleges former senior politicians were engaged in tax evasion will not be allowed give evidence before the Public Accounts Committee, TDs have been told.

Cork University Hospital (CUH) has the lowest rate of day surgery of all the major hospitals in the country even though day cases cost on average 60% less than inpatient cases and the hospital is over budget by almost €5m.

The Dáil Public Accounts Committee has been refused permission to compel former Rehab chief executive Angela Kerins and Frank Flannery to appear before it after both previously declined.

There are interesting — and stark — differences between the three investigations into the penalty points saga.

I’LL tell you something, Maurice — and this is just personal advice to you — if Shatter thinks you’re screwing him, you’re finished.” So went a line read into the record of the Dáil last Wednesday by Fianna Fáil leader, Micheál Martin.

Environment Minister Phil Hogan will be called before an Oireachtas committee to explain when he found out about the awarding of consultancy contracts amounting to €85m by Irish Water.

Almost €150,000 in cancer charity donations has instead been given to senior hospital chiefs already receiving six-figure publicly-funded salaries.

Representatives from Irish Water are to appear before TDs next week to take questions about its spending on consultants.

A “box of evidence” from a Garda whistleblower alleging abuse of the penalty point system should be covered by parliamentary privilege, according to Transport Minister Leo Varadkar.

The government spending watchdog, the Comptroller and Auditor General, has criticsed the Department of Education for over-paying teachers to the tune of €1.2m.

The Comptroller and Auditor General has given its approval to the way Nama valued the loans it bought off banks at discount prices.

HOSPITAL consultants aligned to the VHI would have to work free for a year and treat approximately 700,000 patients, if the insurer was to absorb the additional costs it faces under proposals contained in the budget, VHI said yesterday.

A CASE to have the €180 million school transport service operated by Bus Éireann put out to tender by the Department of Education is to be heard by the High Court.

The General Secretary of the Teacher's Union of Ireland has strongly denied claims made by the Comptroller and Auditor General that the teachers' supervision scheme is not properly monitored - and therefore likely to be abused.

AGRICULTURE Minister Brendan Smith has defended a €1,800 per inspection bill for farm inspections by his officials.

AN estimated €34 million has been provided to groups supporting victims of institutional abuse between 2001 and 2009.

The Department of Finance said it has not yet pursued findings of a report from the Comptroller and Auditor General which found that FÁS paid more than double the recommended price for a site for a new headquarters in Co Offaly.

The state spending watchdog - the Comptroller and Auditor General - is to investigate the running of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority.

THE chief executive of County Cork VEC has broken his silence on its loss of substantial sums in a school computers deal and confirmed the state’s spending watchdog was probing the issue.

The Financial Regulator’s handling of the banking crisis was late and insufficient, a Government watchdog said today.

The Financial Regulator’s handling of the banking crisis was late and insufficient, a Government watchdog said today.

A MULTI-MILLION euro income stream the country receives from Europe for social projects is in danger because of questions raised about the possible misuse of grants given to Fás.

The Dáil Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is to investigate the Central Bank after the agency admitted it had paid for trips of the spouses of dozens of staff members.

THE media’s role in softening up the public sector and those on welfare has been a disgrace. The Comptroller and Auditor General, and the Central Statistics Office are duty-bound to follow political dictates, but the media are joining the fray with one-eyed abandon.

THE coming few weeks could be very interesting politically. John Gormley has said that the Green Party will withdraw from government if the party’s rank and file do not approve a new programme for government by a two-thirds majority. That could prove particularly problematical, but then maybe he can secure some astonishing concessions from Fianna Fáil in the current circumstances.

MORE damning revelations about the culture of waste at Fás are yet to come, its chairman has admitted.

Green Party leader John Gormley has said the board of FÁS should resign over the revelations of serious financial irregularities at the state training agency.

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise Mary Coughlan has said work is already underway to address serious deficiencies in financial controls at FÁS.

THE Government has been lambasted for spending taxpayers’ money on pro-Lisbon treaty measures.

THE Government has done nothing to clean up Fás according to the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) which claimed its recommendations on improving accountability at the state training agency have been completely ignored.

A CROSS-PARTY Dáil committee has written to the Government complaining about Tánaiste Mary Coughlan’s intervention into an important inquiry.

The Tánaiste and Enterprise Minister has reportedly ordered a review into the management of FÁS amid concerns about the agency's spending controls.

A UNIVERSITY chief has called for Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe to speed up his planned review of the Government’s €2 billion annual spend on third-level education, so underfunding in the sector can be reversed.

Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe has called for a national debate on the funding of the third-level sector.

SIGNIFICANT shortcomings in the operation of state bodies and agencies which resulted in the loss of millions of euro have been identified by the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG), John Purcell.

The Comptroller and Auditor General has reportedly highlighted major shortfalls with the Government's ambitious plan to make public services available online.

OVERPAYMENTS of almost €70,000 were made in error to 18 retired civil servants for annual leave entitlements they did not take during their careers.