Deirdre Clune, Fine Gael TD and member of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), believes the success of its report into the waste of taxpayers’ money at FÁS proves that Dáil Committees should be given stronger investigative powers.

The PAC investigation into FÁS has brought to light serious issues in how one of the State’s biggest institutions approached the spending of taxpayers’ money. The report sets out a clear definitive list of conclusions and recommendations that we as a Committee reached after in-depth investigation of documents and examination of witnesses by members of the Committee.

The PAC’s report proves that TDs of all parties can work together in a non-partisan way to investigate issues of public concern, call high-level officials to account publicly, reach a conclusion and make recommendations in a way that is both cost and time-effective.

Recent revelations about how Government Bodies like FÁS spend taxpayers’ money and how our banks operate will result in a public demand for upfront investigations into issues of public concern. This demand will not be satisfied by Tribunals which last for decades and cost taxpayers hundreds of millions.

Strong Dáil Committees with the power to compel witnesses, question witnesses in public sessions and provide conclusive reports and recommendations could fill this vacuum.