‘Flannery should have gone to PAC’

The former Rehab director, Frank Flannery, should have accepted the invitation to appear before the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee from “day one” according to its chairman, John McGuinness.

Mr Flannery resigned from his Government-appointed position as chairman of the Forum on Philanthropy, it was announced yesterday.

It followed Mr Flannery’s statement on Monday that he was resigning from the board of Rehab and from his involvement with election strategy in Fine Gael.

However, he is still under pressure to appear before the PAC, which is examining a range of issues relating to salaries and spending at the Rehab Group, on which it expects to present a report to government.

The committee had not heard from Mr Flannery last night on whether he intended to accept the latest invitation for him to appear — issued on Monday.

Mr McGuinness strongly criticised the disability charity’s dealings with the committee, saying it has “dragged out the issue” for far too long.

“In today’s world, most organisations and particularly those that receive substantial money from central government, give the facts and the figure,” said Mr McGuinness.

“Rehab got €82m a year from the Government — and they also have a tax free status, so that is tax foregone. I think it is reasonable of the members of the committee to ask all of these questions, including the salaries and pensions.”

The PAC wants to examine Rehab’s approach to governance and how salaries developed over the years to what they are now.

They are awaiting information on the pension arrangements for Mr Flannery since he retired as chief executive officer of Rehab in 2006.

Mr McGuinness told Newstalk: “It would have been much better, and far less controversial, if Rehab had come forward and given us that on day one. In fact, it would have been far better in relation to Mr Flannery if the invitation that was extended to him, through Angela Kerins, was accepted on that first day and then that one hearing would have dealt with everything.

“Now you have all this controversy raging which is unnecessary.”

Asked if he was willing to use powers to compel Mr Flannery to attend, Mr McGuinness said that was up to committee members, but it should not come to that.

“Generally speaking, in the main, witnesses appear and they give the information that is required and we get on with our business,” he said. “That is probably the most constructive way to deal with all the outstanding issues to do with Rehab is too appear in a voluntary fashion, and I have no doubt that Frank Flannery — who knows the system — will consider the invitation in a positive way when he gets it.”