Ex-Rehab bosses to be ‘compelled’ to appear at PAC

Former Rehab bosses Frank Flannery and Angela Kerins have been warned they may be compelled to co-operate with the Public Accounts Committee as its trawl widens into the charity’s use of public funds.

Solicitors for the charity ex-bosses yesterday received letters from the Oireachtas committee, which wants answers from the two about Rehab’s use of public funds.

Mr Flannery and Ms Kerins have been given two weeks to decide whether to appear before PAC or else face moves to compel them to answer questions.

The letters said PAC members had agreed that as previous meetings had “delivered inadequate responses” on a range of issues linked to the spending of state funds, the committee would write to the pair and other parties requesting them to appear before it.

This would be “to provide comprehensive information in respect of the aforementioned public monies that in 2013 amounted to €95.5m”, the letters said.

Mr Flannery and Ms Kerins were told they have until the close of business on April 30 to reply to the committee or it may seek to compel them to give evidence under the Houses of the Oireachtas (Inquiries, Privileges, and Procedures) Act 2013.

The demands were issued yesterday as PAC chairman John McGuinness signalled that the scope of its trawl through Rehab’s use of public funds is set to widen.

He said the PAC was also writing to agencies that fund Rehab and its board to seek more information.

Failing this, the PAC would move to compel people to give evidence by applying do so through the Committee on Procedure and Privileges.

“The process is that you state your case, you legally check your case, and then you submit it to the CPP for their consideration,” said Mr McGuinness.

“This application will be lodged within a matter of weeks if we do not get the co-operation from all the agencies and from the two individuals concerned.”

Mr McGuinness said both Ms Kerins and Mr Flannery had knowledge about consultancy fees paid out by Rehab but the board of the charity could not answer questions about these.

“It is necessary to hear from the people who were directly involved in that,” he told RTÉ. “It is a powerful position to be in with regards to obtaining the information that you require.”

A Rehab spokeswoman last night said the charity would provide “as much information as is in their power to provide”.