PAC in bid to change rule that 'paralyses' spending watchdog

The committee can only question witnesses about accounts audited by the C&AG after Supreme Court ruling

'I believe in fixing things that need to be fixed,' said PAC chair Brian Stanley, in advance of a private meeting today at which he was planning to initiate a change to the rule that 'ties the hands of the committee'. File Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has moved to tackle a Dáil rule which allegedly “totally paralyses” its workflows by drafting a suggested change to the controversial requirement.

Standing Order 218 is the Dáil rule first drafted and accepted last July in apparent response to the Supreme Court’s ruling that a former PAC had gone significantly beyond its remit in questioning former Rehab CEO Angela Kerins in 2014.