Cullen faces PAC probe into E375,000 grant

Mary Dundon, Political Reporter

Mr Cullen confirmed he allocated the money after local opposition to a plan to charge for a bus service during the four-day event.

"It was a pilot scheme to see if it could be organised and work for a big city. The result was fantastic," Mr Cullen told a local paper.

But PAC chairman Deputy Michael Noonan said yesterday they would investigate how Mr Cullen secured the money for an event in his constituency.

"I will be asking the secretary general of the Department of Transport to explain where this money appears in their annual estimates and how it was allocated," Mr Noonan said.

The spending of all public money for any event must be sanctioned in the department's estimates by the Dáil, the Fine Gael deputy said.

"The committee wants to know what budget this money came out of," Mr Noonan added.

Waterford City Council wrote to the department in June looking for funding for the free bus service.

However, it was not until July 8, two days after the festival began, that they were informed the money had been sanctioned.

Mr Cullen's spokesman said: "A provision for this and other park and ride initiatives is made in the department's sub-head, section C2, titled Public Transport Projects.

"This sub-head totals E426 million for 2005 and covers traffic management measures including initiatives in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford."

Asked if Mr Cullen had the discretion to decide how the E426m traffic management budget is spent, his spokesman said: "Yes, but it was the civil servants who dealt with the request from Waterford City Council for funding for their park and ride scheme and the minister is satisfied no favours were given."

The department official told Waterford City Council they would sanction E375,000 in a park and ride budget, provided they fulfilled seven conditions.

These included: written details of the park and ride sites, the number of cars and passengers who used them, the impact of the car-free approach on normal city business and lessons that could be learnt.