Private partnerships ‘need scrutiny’

THE Dáil’s powerful Public Accounts Committee (PAC) expressed alarm yesterday over the way that hundreds of millions of euro of taxpayers’ money is poured into private partnerships without proper parliamentary scrutiny.

PAC chairman Michael Noonan insisted watertight accountability was needed to ensure the investment is being used in a “kosher” way.

The cross-party committee expressed dissatisfaction with Finance Minister Brian Cowen’s rejection of calls for it to be allowed to investigate the commercial end of such projects.