Oversight of educational body like Wild West, says watchdog

The chairman of the Oireachtas’s public spending watchdog has criticised the prior management of County Cork’s vocational education and asked why board members of the time remain in their positions today.

Public Accounts Committee chairman John McGuinness yesterday described oversight of Co Cork VEC as the “Wild West” as the committee met to discuss the Comptroller and Auditor General’s report into the educational body, and the management of Macroom Youthreach.

The report on the management of Macroom Youthreach draws heavily on the findings of an internal VEC audit, which were previously revealed by the Irish Examiner.