Cardiff nomination approved in Strasbourg

The European Parliament in Strasbourg today voted to support the nomination of Kevin Cardiff to the European Court of Auditors.

MEPs voted 521 in favour, 128 against for the nomination of Mr Cardiff, outgoing Secretary General at the Department of Finance.

The vote follows the rejection last month by the Parliament's own Budgetary Control Committee of Mr Cardiff's nomination. The committee rapporteur Ines Ayala Sender turned down the application and he was also defeated in a committee vote 12-11 following his public interview in Brussels.

Mr Cardiff's nomination to the €276,000-a-year position had been the subject of some controversy owing to his role as the chief official at the Department of Finance during the worst years of the financial crisis, and his involvement in decisions including the introduction of the bank guarantee scheme.

Questions had also been raised in relation to an accounting error at the Department which was uncovered recently, and which had led to the level of Ireland's debt being overstated by some €3.4bn.

Today's vote makes the first time the Parliament has gone against a decision made by one of its plenary committees.

It remains to be seen, however, whether Mr Cardiff will be obliged to sit before the committee for a second interview before he is able to take up the post.

Labour MEP Nessa Childers, who opposed his nomination, has slammed the lobbying she says took place behind the scenes.

Ms Childers said his appointment represents an interference in democracy.

"I don't approve of what has happened," she said.

"The committee voted against it but very high-level contacts occurred at government level between the heads of the Irish government and political groups.

"I think democracy has been interfered with and I think my mandate as an MEP has been interfered with.

"It brings out a whole lot of issues… about the governance of countries and the way political parties behave."

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams said both Europe and Mr Cardiff would need some luck with the new appointment.

“I don’t want to personalise any of this whatsoever,” he said.

“But the finance department lost somewhere in there, in terms of its accounting, €3.6bn – it was on his watch, he’s now been promoted, a sideways promotion if you like.

“He’s going to need a lot of luck and with that kind of accounting the EU is going to need a lot of luck as well.”

Marta Andreasen, former EU Chief Accountant and UKIP MEP, said that she had hoped common-sense would prevail.

“The evidence was self-explanatory: Mr Cardiff, whilst in charge of the Irish Finance Ministry oversaw a €3.6bn accounting error,” she said.

“This is not pennies we are talking about here.

“Mr Cardiff’s reward for this blunder is a six figure salary in an EU Institution tasked with ensuring the financial probity of the multi-billion euro EU budget. It would be farcical were the matter not so serious.

“The political pressure and interference exerted to ensure his appointment today, notably by the Irish Government on the largest group in the Parliament the EPP, means that any integrity the Auditors may have had prior to his appointment now lies in tatters.”

However Fianna Fáil MEP Pat 'the Cope' Gallagher said he had supported Mr Cardiff's nomination.

"I voted to support Mr. Cardiff in the budgetary control committee as his performance was as good if not better than the other seven nominees," Mr Gallagher said.

"I am pleased that Mr. Cardiff has received the support of the European Parliament as he is eminently qualified and competent to fulfil the position in the Court of Auditors."