Teahon to be called before committee

Mr Paddy Teahon, the chairman and chief executive of Campus & Stadium Ireland Development Ltd, is expected to be called before a Public Accounts Committee investigation into the national aquatic centre. The committee - which is made up of TDs and Senators from all parties - will sit for a full day next week and hopes to call a number of people apart from Mr Teahon.

The committee is also expected to call Mr Barry Murphy, the chairman of the Commissioners of Public Works, and Ms Margaret Hayes, the SecBoth departments are represented on the board of CSID, which is developing the national aquatic centre at Abbotstown, Co Dublin. The PAC will sit next Thursday, the day after the Cabinet receives a report by the Attorney General, Mr Michael McDowell, into the circumstances surrounding the awarding of the aquatic centre contract.

Amongst the issues that he is looking into is the awarding of the contract to a dormant shelf company, Waterworld UK, along with construction company Rohcon. Waterworld UK subsequently took only a 5 per cent stake in the company set up to run the centre, with the balance of the shares held by a group of Kerry-based businessmen linked to the Aquadome in Tralee. The Attorney General is also expected to examine the decision of Mr Teahon not to tell the rest of the board or the Government about the involvement of a dormant company.

Mr Fergus Finlay, the public relations adviser to CSID, said yesterday on RTÉ radio that Mr Teahon had been anxious to expedite the project.

"His attitude - as I understand it - was that if there is a problem, I will tell them. If there is not a problem, let's just get on with it. Let's investigate it. Let's fix it if we need to fix it," said Mr Finlay.

He added that the bid by Waterworld UK and construction company Rohcon was £15 million (€19 million) cheaper than its next rival. "If Paddy Teahon had made a decision that because there was an issue that required investigation - a problem that could be solved - then we should throw out the bid and go for one that was £15 million more expensive; the questions that would be raised about his judgment would be quite different," he added.

Mr Finlay said that Mr Teahon and his team felt constrained by commercial sensitivities from commenting. The board of CSID has already decided that Mr Teahon should give one of his two roles in line with a decision taken by the Government last year. A firm of independent consultants - High Point Rendel - has also criticised the way the entire stadium project was being handled.

The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, has said that a number of questions needs to be answered before the issue of accountability is addressed. Mr Teahon is former Secretary General in Mr Ahern's department.