Noonan reiterates support for under-fire Cardiff

The Finance Minister Michael Noonan is reiterating that he fully supports the nomination of Kevin Cardiff to the European Court of Auditors.

Mr Cardiff is due to leave the top job in the Department of Finance later this year to make the move to Europe.

One UKIP MEP has voiced concern over the plan, amid the controversy surrounding a €3.6bn accounting error in the department which emerged last week.

Marta Andreasen has said she will raise the matter with the president of the Court of Auditors on Thursday, and will request further information on Mr Cardiff today.

Miss Andreasen said: "Of course it wasn't him personally, but the fact is that he was the head of that Department; and you bear the ultimate responsibility when you are the head of the Finance Department.

"I was the head of the Accounting Department in the EU - I was the chief accountant - and any error that occurred there was my ultimate responsibility."