Sinn Féin’s Mairéad Farrell has been confirmed as the chairwoman of the Public Accounts Committee after her appointment was approved in the Dáil without discussion or a vote.
There had been some doubt last week as to whether the Galway West TD would be appointed to succeed former party member Brian Stanley, who resigned 10 days ago.
Speculation was rife that the Government parties and some Opposition parties might attempt to block Ms Farrell’s succession to the chair.
Some TDs had expressed concern about Sinn Féin’s handling of a series of controversies and there was speculation that Ms Farrell’s appointment would be challenged.
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However, at a meeting last Thursday of the Dáil Business Committee, while there was debate on the issue, members did not object to the motion for her appointment going to the Dáil.
Sinn Féin whip Pádraig Mac Lochlainn afterwards accused the Government and other Opposition parties of not having “the nerve” to block the appointment and said they had “bottled” opposing the proposal. In reality, the committee could not have blocked the progression of the appointment to the Dáil even if parties had dissented from the proposal.
Tuesday morning’s committee meeting was chaired by acting chair Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy pending Dáil approval of Ms Farrell’s appointment in the afternoon.
Ms Farrell, who is Sinn Féin’s former spokeswoman on expenditure and reform, will only have the opportunity to chair a handful of the committee’s weekly meetings before the general election is called.
In the Dáil, the motion was passed almost unnoticed and without TDs being named.
Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked Mr Mac Lochlainn to move the motion that the Dáil “approves the Thirty-Fourth Report of the Standing Committee of Selection”.
When he said “I move” the proposal was agreed on the nod, meaning there was no vote.
The report “discharges a member from a Committee and appoints a member to a Committee accordingly” and “appoints Deputy Mairéad Farrell to be Cathaoirleach of the Committee of Public Accounts”.
Mr Stanley is now no longer a member of the committee. He stood down from Sinn Féin after an internal inquiry into allegations made against him which he dismissed as a “kangaroo court”. He has made a counter-allegation to the initial claims, which did not include any allegation of criminal behaviour.
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