Allen rewarded with chair of Public Accounts Committee
The Fine Gael deputy was named by his party leader as the new chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, the watchdog of public finances that is acknowledged as the most powerful and high-profile of all the 22 committees.
Mr Allen was not named on the Fine Gael front bench this autumn. He said, though disappointed, Enda Kenny had promised him a high-profile position. He succeeds former Fine Gael leader Michael Noonan as the head of the PAC.
“I am very pleased,” he said yesterday. “It’s a very busy job and will involve a lot of responsibility over the next few years. There’s a lot to be looked at in terms of wastage of taxpayers’ money.”
Conversely, the Irish Examiner understands there was disappointment for another of Mr Allen’s prominent constituency colleagues, Noel O’Flynn.
The Cork North Central FF TD was a combative chair of the Communications Committee. Yesterday he was named chairman of members’ interests, a non-policy committee, which may be viewed as a demotion by Mr O’Flynn.
In all, the chairs and vice-chairs of 22 committees were announced last night by FF and FG. In a deal brokered with FG, there are four extra committees and FG get three extra chairs. With salaries of €20,000 for chairs, in addition to generous €100,000 Dáil salaries, the Government has been accused of jobs for the boys.
There remain only 14 FF TDs with no role or extra emoluments, after the latest appointments, according to most estimates. Of those, only Ned O’Keeffe and Jim McDaid are veterans.
Labour was excluded from the deal and retains its sole chair, Willie Penrose of the Enterprise Committee.
The Green Party gets its first chair. Paul Gogarty will head the education committee. And, as predicted, independent TD for Kerry South Jackie Healy Rae becomes chair of the Committee on Social and Family, as part of his deal offering support for the Government.
Two re-elected veterans get unexpected chairs: Mary O’Rourke is the new chair of a new committee on children; while Dún Laoghaire TD Sean Barrett is the new head of another new committee, that on climate change.
Two junior ministers who were dropped in the latest reshuffle get the consolation of chairs. Frank Fahey is the chair of Transport while Noel Treacy goes to the new committee on the Good Friday Agreement.
Foreign Affairs: Michael Woods (FF).
European Affairs: Bernard Durkan (FG).
Justice: Peter Power (FF).
Finance: Michael Finneran (FF).
Members’ Interests: Noel O’Flynn (FF).
Agriculture: John Brady (FF).
Education and Science: Paul Gogarty (GP).
Arts, Sports, Tourism: M J Nolan (FF).
Communications: John Cregan (FF).
Enterprise: Willie Penrose (Lab).
Environment: Sean Fleming (FF).
Health and children: John Moloney (FF).
Social and Family: Jackie Healy Rae (Ind).
Transport: Frank Fahey.
Public Accounts: Bernard Allen (FG).
Administrative Committee: Barry Andrews (FF).
Constitution: Sean Ardagh (FF).
Good Friday Agreement: Noel Treacy (FF).
Children: Mary O’Rourke (FF).
Economic and Regulatory: Michael Moynihan (FF).
Climate Change: Sean Barrett (FG).
EU Scrutiny: John Perry (FG).
British Irish: Niall Blaney (FF).
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