State fisheries agency IFI should consider repaying to the exchequer the \u20ac60,000 it paid to a communications company for training executives before an appearance at the Dail Public Accounts Committee last month, the Social Democrats have urged. <\/p>\n
North Kildare TD Aidan Farrelly, who raised questions about communications training with IFI executives at the Public Accounts Committee on March 26th, described the \u20ac60,000 cost as \u201cludicrous\u201d. <\/p>\n
In a statement on Tuesday Farrelly said the chairman of IFI had challenged his questions about training at the hearing. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnd now it is clear why\u201d, Farrelly said. <\/p>\n
\u201cFor a public body to spend \u20ac60,000 of public funds to appear before the Public Accounts Committee is simply ludicrous, and makes a mockery of the D\u00e1il committee process.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI do not accept that this level of training, funded by the taxpayer was required and I would call on the board and management of the IFI to consider repaying this to the exchequer. \u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is just another example of questionable decision making at the IFI, and adds further difficulty for the new chief executive (of IFI who is scheduled to start in the role this month)\u201d, Farrelly said. <\/p>\n
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI)<\/a> said at the weekend that it had paid \u20ac53,933, excluding VAT, to DHR Communications. <\/p>\n It said DHR Communications had provided it with \u201ctraining and communications support\u201d in advance of a hearing of the PAC on March 26th. <\/p>\n The State agency said DHR\u2019s services had been \u201cdelivered through existing contractual arrangements with IFI\u2019s legal advisers, included both an executive training\/support and a consultancy and documentary research role\u201d.<\/p>\n At the hearing on March 26th, IFI executives said they had received training over five or six days. <\/p>\n [\u00a0\u2018Serious allegations\u2019 over former taoiseach putting pressure on fisheries agency, PAC hearsOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n IFI provided details of the training cost to The Irish Times on foot of queries, and to the PAC, this weekend. <\/p>\n PAC chairman John Brady<\/a> (Sinn F\u00e9in<\/a>) said on Monday the payment to the communications company represented \u201can extraordinary unjustifiable use of public money\u201d. <\/p>\n IFI had been asked to return before the PAC in March after members expressed unhappiness at their engagement with the organisation at a previous hearing in December centring around governance and financial control issues. <\/p>\n IFI said the \u20ac53,933 payment to DHR Communications covered the period from December 12th to the PAC meeting in March. December 12th was one week after the previous appearance of the agency before the committee. <\/p>\n At the March 26th hearing, Brady said it was \u201cunprecedented\u201d for the committee to recall a public body so soon.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is unprecedented and is born out of deep frustration at our previous engagement, which I think was less than helpful. There was a deep level of frustration among all members of the committee at the level of engagement and openness, or lack thereof, from IFI at that particular meeting,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n