PAC offers Flannery private meeting

The head of the public accounts committee has offered to meet ex-Rehab chief executive, Frank Flannery, in private in a bid to convince him to willingly submit to a public grilling by the cross-party group.

PAC chairman John McGuinness confirmed the move as a deadline looms for Mr Flannery and fellow ex-Rehab boss Angela Kerins to explain spending and top-level remuneration during their tenure at the charity.

Both have until Thursday to agree to either come before the PAC or be forced to do so under new compellability rules.