Coughlan under fire over Fás intervention

A CROSS-PARTY Dáil committee has written to the Government complaining about Tánaiste Mary Coughlan’s intervention into an important inquiry.

The Dáil Public Accounts Committee is inquiring into alleged irregularities at the State training agency Fás.

The committee is traditionally regarded as being “non-political” and above partisan attack, but Ms Coughlan yesterday claimed it was “following another agenda” and moving too slowly in its work.

For that reason, she said she would ask the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG), which audits the accounts of public bodies, to immediately launch its own inquiry into Fás.

But the committee chairman, Fine Gael TD Bernard Allen, criticised Ms Coughlan’s intervention yesterday and wrote to Finance Minister Brian Lenihan on behalf of the committee.

He said in the letter that a minister cannot direct the constitutionally independent C&AG.

Ms Coughlan’s stated intention to ask the C&AG to launch an inquiry follows similar remarks by Education Minister Batt O’Keeffe, who said he would ask the C&AG to investigate whether public money given to universities was well spent.

In his letter, Mr Allen drew attention to both ministers’ statements and said: “The media presentation which followed those ministerial requests could give rise to a mistaken perception that the C&AG can be directed by a member of the Government. In view of the constitutionally independent status of the C&AG, this is not a desirable development.

“I should also point out that, when a report such as that relating to Fás is already before the committee, such a request has the potential to erode the authority of the committee in the way it can undertake its obligations under Standing Order 158 of Dáil Éireann.

“I would ask that you take the view of the committee on board and convey an appropriate message to Government ministers.”

The committee operates by holding public hearings on Government spending based on audits produced by the C&AG.

In the case of the current inquiry, the committee is examining an audit of Fás already produced by the C&AG, and believes it should be allowed finish that work before the C&AG is asked to launch a new investigation.

Mr Allen said yesterday: “We have not delayed our investigation but, in order to conduct a thorough examination, we had to get more information and we are expecting a detailed reply today from the director general of Fás on queries we raised, and I fully expect that we will resume our public consideration of the C&AG’s report on Fás in the coming weeks.”