Gilmore: Ministers negligent over expenses
Last night it emerged that Health Minister Mary Harney was the beneficiary of some of the spending by Fás during trips to the US in the past four years.
Meanwhile, Mr Gilmore questioned in the Dáil yesterday why she did not carry out her duty in her former capacity as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to ensure there was no wastage in the expenses regime within the department.
Most of the €643,000 in expenses on US trips was incurred while Ms Harney was minister in the department in charge of Fás and later when current Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin held that office.
Neither were present when the issue was discussed in leaders’ questions in the Dáil yesterday morning, nor was the current Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Mary Coughlan.
Mr Gilmore said the law which gave way to Fás states that the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment has to approve the expenses regime in the organisation.
The Labour Services Act 1987 says “remunerations and allowances for expenses are incurred...with the consent of the Minister and the Minister for Finance”.
Mr Gilmore said the law was “explicitly clear” that the approval of the expenses regime is a job for the minister. He referred to the former director general of Fás, Rody Molloy, who resigned on Tuesday night having said on radio that he and his colleagues were “entitled” to the expense claims.
“Did the minister approve them? If the minister did not approve them, I seek an explanation from the Taoiseach as to why three ministers — I don’t know which one was responsible here — were negligent in their duty in overseeing the organisation, as the minister is required by law to do,” he said.
“Fás is not a free agent. It is responsible to the minister who must approve its expenses regime and who is, in turn, accountable to the house for that approval,” said Mr Gilmore.
