Committee treated witnesses like ‘slabs of meat’

Former Rehab boss Frank Flannery has hit out at members of the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) who, he said, had shown a "feral attitude" to him and treated witnesses "almost as slabs of meat".

Mr Flannery, who was forced to step down from his role as a top Fine Gael strategist over his controversial refusal to appear before the committee’s hearings, said the Taoiseach was “ill-advised” when he urged him to give evidence.

He was speaking during two radio interviews yesterday, following a ruling by the Oireachtas Committee on Privileges and Procedures (CPP) on Wednesday night that the PAC could not compel him or the recently retired Rehab boss, Angela Kerins, to appear.