Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) John McGuinness highlighted a number of taxpayer-funded projects which cannot be directly investigated by the Comptroller Auditor General:

1.Some €80 million has been spent to date on the Poolbeg incinerator. The PAC asked the local government audit team to investigate the spend but the committee has "no idea when the report will be completed".

2.Wicklow County Council bought land in Greystones and was forced, based on a 2007 contract, to pay €3 million in 2011 for lands worth a fraction of that amount. The PAC cannot investigate it.

3.A High Court judgment awarded €4 million against Meath council for planning irregularities. The PAC cannot call council officers to account on the issue.

4.The committee can hold the National Roads Authority (NRA) to account but cannot do the same with the councils who receive money for projects such as local road maintenance.