Department in the dark about €200k paid into SIPTU-controlled account

THE Department of the Environment is still in the dark about what became of €200,000 it paid into a “dubious” bank account managed under the umbrella of SIPTU.

The bank account is the subject of a Garda investigation following revelations that €2.35 million paid into it by the HSE through the SKILL programme, could not be accounted for.

Secretary general of the department of the Environment, Geraldine Tallon, said on two occasions, SIPTU’s national industrial secretary, Matt Merrigan, invoiced for €100,000 to be paid to the SIPTU National Health and Local Authority Levy Fund. These were met by the department without question.

But since it was apparent this account was under investigation, the department has not been able to trace where the money went.

Ms Tallon said between 1999 and 2009, €789,919 was sanctioned for the SIPTU National Health and Local Authority Levy Fund.

It was supplied with supporting invoices for €589,919 of this money. But mystery surrounded the two €100,000 transfers made in 2007 and 2008.

The money was channelled through the Local Authority National Partnership Advocacy Group [LANPAG], which was a body designed to ensure SIPTU members in county councils knew how to work with Public Private Partnership schemes.

Ms Tallon said having spoken to her officials on the board of LANPAG, they had no idea the money was not being paid into an official SIPTU account.

She confirmed that on two occasions, a senior civil servant travelled overseas as part of study visits organised by LANPAG. In 2007, a principal officer was part of a 10-person party that went to Canada. In 2003, an assistant principal officer went to Madrid with eight others.

Ms Tallon was addressing the Dáil Public Accounts Committee. Its chairman, Bernard Allen, said questions should have been asked about where the money was going and what it was being spent on.

Separately, Ms Tallon was asked to account for more than €300m that developers owe local authorities in unpaid levies. She said the department had concerns about the rate of unpaid levies. However, committee member Roisín Shortall said the department was not doing enough to monitor and audit the amount of money due to taxpayers.