Concerns raised about 'unusual' spends on media training before public bodies appear at Oireachtas committees

Politicians called for guidelines on how public money is spent on media training for representatives appearing before Oireachtas committees. Inland Fisheries Ireland faced questioning over internal governance and management of public funds after an audit found an excessive number of staff credit cards. Inland Fisheries Ireland told the Public Accounts Committee that it spent €53,933 excluding VAT on communications consultants between December and March. The committee sought further clarification because the figures were described as confusing. TDs questioned whether the amount was solely for media training or part of a broader legal bill. The committee chair said it was not clear from the information provided whether the full figure related only to media training.

"Politicians have said public bodies should receive guidelines around spending public money on media training before their representatives appear in front of Oireachtas committees. Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) faced a series of grillings by TDs in recent months over its internal governance and management of public money after an audit revealed an "excessive" number of staff credit cards."

"The body told the Public Accounts Committee last month that it spend €53,933, excluding Vat, on communications consultants between December and March. But the committee is now seeking further clarification around the "confusing" figures, and TDs want the Department of Public Expenditure to issue guidelines around how public money is spent on media training."

""It seems like an awful lot of money to be spending before they come into the Public Accounts Committee on media training," said Sinn Féin TD Cathy Bennett. "I would like to know - right across the board - if other organisations or other government bodies are doing this. I just think it's an incredible waste of taxpayers money. All they have to do is come in and tell us the truth here.""

"Committee chair John Brady said the information received from the IFI in relation to their spend on media training is "a little bit confusing". TDs previously described it as a "shocking waste of public money" when they were told that the IFI spent almost €54,000 on communications training before its executives appeared before a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee. But Mr Brady said it is "not quite clear" from the information provided to the PAC this week whether the full figure was spent solely on media training or whether it is part of a total legal bill."

Read at Irish Independent