Health authority spent over €625,000 with credit cards

A report on excessive credit card spending by the Health and Safety Authority on items such as dinners, entertainment and travel is to be submitted to the Oireachtas spending watchdog committee.

The Department of Enterprise, which oversees the authority, yesterday said over €625,000 had been spent with the authority’s credit cards from 2005 to 2011. It has examined the funds used following complaints.

Public accounts committee chairman John McGuinness yesterday said he had concerns about the excessive amounts spent on wining, dining and even flowers between 2007 and 2009.