PAC raps ‘sloppy’ grants practice

THE State’s financial watchdog yesterday publicly reprimanded a Government department for the way it allocated €10 million worth of grants.

Gaeltacht, Community and Rural Affairs department chiefs were criticised by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) for not following “legally correct way of channelling” money procedures.

The money was paid into a suspense account to pay expenses of the rural social scheme in 2004 and 2005.