The Dáil‘s spending watchdog is to scrutinise expenditure on accommodation for asylum seekers, the new national children’s hospital and on the failed IT system for the Arts Council, its new chairman has indicated.
Speaking at the first session of the new Dáil Public Accounts Committee on Thursday, John Brady of Sinn Féin said its focus must be on ensuring citizens received the very best services and the best value possible for public money.
He said one of the most pressing issues he intended to prioritise on the committee was “massive profiteering” in the provision of accommodation for those seeking asylum in Ireland.
“People have become millionaires providing sometimes poor quality accommodation in a deeply flawed system while communities have lost vital local facilities including hotels,” said Mr Brady.
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“The State has paid out billions of euro with, what I believe, is very little transparency. There are increasing reports of some companies with no track record being awarded substantial contracts.”
Mr Brady said the cost of the International Protection Accommodation Service last year was €1 billion and was projected to exceed €1.2 billion this year.
“I believe the Public Accounts Committee has a critical role in scrutinising how these contracts are awarded and whether they deliver value for money for the taxpayer.”
Mr Brady also said it was critically important that the committee examined costs associated with the new national children’s hospital. He said expenditure had on the project had soared to more than €2.4 billion.
He said that previously the committee had experienced challenges in getting some critical bodies to appear before the Public Accounts Committee.
“There was deep frustration and disappointment on behalf of members of the last Public Accounts Committee when key witnesses from the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board and Children’s Health Ireland were unavailable to come before the committee,” he said.
“I would like to move quickly to invite those bodies into the Public Accounts Committee to get some very important questions answered.”
Mr Brady also said the Public Accounts Committee must look closely at spending by the Arts Council, particularly expenditure of €6.7 million on a failed IT system.
“Such a significant outlay with no outcome cannot go unchecked,” he said.
Mr Brady also said the committee should give particular scrutiny to “the extremely serious issue of bogus self-employment”.
“This is a systemic problem in many sectors, not just in the likes of RTÉ or the gig economy. It is now a big issue for postmasters, to name but one other key area,” he said.
“It not only undermines workers’ rights but places an unjust financial burden on the State. I believe the Public Accounts Committee has a duty to expose how and why these practices continue and to assess their real cost to the public purse.”
