‘Cabinet trying to clip wings of PAC’

The Government was accused of trying to “clip the wings” of the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) after it announced an independent inquiry into claims of penalty points abuse in the Garda Siochána.

The claim was made by Independent TD Shane Ross following an intervention by Alan Shatter, the justice minister, just days before a Garda whistleblower was due to appear before the committee.

The committee will meet this evening to decide how to proceed and disagreement is expected to emerge between government and opposition TDs on the issue.