A senior government official has warned that the €61m budget announced for the clean-up of the former Irish Steel plant on Haulbowline in Cork Harbour will not be enough to complete plans to transform the site into a major public recreation amenity.

The expenses system for TDs and Senators is “flawed” and could lead to over-payment, according to the chairman of the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), John McGuinness.