‘317,000 reasons’ the PAC hearing is worth it

Politics became personal yesterday. Two prominent politicians, President Michael D Higgins and Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy, emerged from the day still standing - but with dents and scratches on the body work.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) shipped a huge amount of criticism for its decision to open an examination into the expenses of the presidential office. It occurred, effectively, in the throes of a presidential campaign.

There were charges of bias and agenda. Prominent political figures such as Leo Varadkar and Micheál Martin asked pointedly: why now after seven years?

But irrespective of the debate over timing, the hearing did unearth a number of important issues, primarily a €317,000 annual allowance that is not subject to audit.

Irish Cancer Society welcomes decision to include cancer warnings on alcohol

---

Miriam Lord: Leo quells annual tizzy over Christmas bonus

---

Who is Stephen Pound and why is he in the news?

---

Presidential expenses: annual allowance of €317,000 is not audited

---

Such an exercise had never been done before because a timid approach had been taken to the separation of powers. But few would have known were it not for the PAC hearing that an internal audit committee set up in 2014 did not meet for almost four years. Here is our report on it.

A triumphant Marc MacSharry of Fianna Fáil declared there were “317,000 reasons it was worthwhile”. That was over the top, as was his loaded declaration that it could give rise to perceptions of being a slush fund. That was all nakedly political.

The fund has been available since 1938 and is set at the present level since 1998. The President uses it to host visitors, State dinners and other events at the Áras. The political hay that was made of it yesterday is that it is not subject to any audit, or breakdown. Cue, other presidential candidates saying they would be willing to change this.

Was it worthwhile? Catherine Connolly, the Independent TD from Galway West, is a really good performer on the committee, using her skills as a barrister to ask very pointed questions. This included a barb at Government general secretary Martin Fraser who she told not to put his eyes up to heaven at her question. He replied he had done no such thing but might have been wincing at his broken elbow (he was wearing a sling after suffering a fall).

He did agree the situation of having no working audit committee for over three years was not ideal, or “sub optima” as he put it.

It certainly gave a little foretaste of the presidential campaign, which might be a little bumpier than we thought. Here is my analysis on it.

Huff and puff won’t blow Housing Minister down

Eoghan Murphy was always going to survive the Sinn Féin no-confidence vote but not without taking a political bruising from the Opposition and also from a surprising fifth column within Fine Gael.

Ultimately, as Marie O'Halloran reports, he comfortably survived the motion by 59 votes to 49 after Fianna Fáil abstained.

The irony was that for once it was the Fine Gael benches that were being scanned to see if anyone failed to support the Minister. That was because Minister for State Catherine Byrne had threatened to vote against Murphy because of a dispute between the two that has simmered since the summer.

Ms Byrne publicly railed against the Minister at the launch of the State’s first cost-rental housing estate in Inchicore. She was incensed at the model, which she said deprived people of the right to buy a property, would drive local people from the area and would not achieve the right mix.

In the end, she issued a statement saying she would support the Minister. But earlier the Taoiseach had warned her she would be fired as a Minister for State (in charge of drugs policy) if she voted against her colleague.

There was a show of strength by the Government with eight Ministers and a large number of other TDs present for the debate.

However, with homeless figures at 10,000 and some of the policies to make housing available not meeting targets, Murphy remains beleaguered. Earlier Mary Lou McDonald and Varadkar had clashed on the issue during Leader’s Questions.

Best Reads

Two not-usual stars in Miriam Lord's Dáil column: Michael Lowry and Dara Calleary.

Suzanne Lynch reports on Donald Trump's panto speech to the United Nations.

In his analysis of the no-confidence debate on Eoghan Murphy, and the potential trouble posed by Catherine Byrne, political editor Pat Leahy concludes it "ended with something more like a whimper than a bang".

In a U-turn on a U-turn, Simon Harris has reversed his decision to drop cancer-warning labels on alcohol.

In the North, Arlene Foster begins her first day of evidence on the botched Renewable Heat Incentive scheme, which led to the collapse of the Executive.

Kathy Sheridan assesses the odds of suing Boris Johnson for lying.

Daniel Geary argues Donald Trump and Brexit come from the same tradition as Ian Paisley's exclusive nationalism.

Playbook

President Michael D Higgins will open his presidential campaign in Dublin city centre this afternoon and will surely have to field questions on the €317,000 annual allowance.

Other candidates have already began their campaigns. All but two (Higgins and Seán Gallagher) will participate in the first radio debate, on RTE 1 tomorrow.

Dail

10.30: Parliamentary Questions to Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection Regina Doherty.

12.00: Leaders’ Questions.

13.02: Questions to the Taoiseach about his Department.

15.35: Private Members’ Business. The Labour Party is proposing a Local Government (Restoration of Town Councils) Bill 2018 to reverse a decision made while it was in government.

17.35:Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015, which will include cancer warnings.

Also, Markets in Financial Instruments Bill 2018 - Report and Final Stages and Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2018 - Order for Second Stage and Second Stage.

22.15: Dáil adjourns.

Seanad Éireann

10.30: Commencement Matters.

11.30: Order of Business.

12.45: Copyright and Other Intellectual Property Law Provisions Bill 2018 - Second Stage.

14.00: Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2017 - Committee Stage.

17.00: Private Members’ Business: sport and health.

Committees

9.00: Health committee: Pre-legislative scrutiny of the general scheme of the Patient Safety Bill 2018.

9.00: Committee on Justice and Equality: Proposal to establish an Internal Security Fund, discussion with Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan.

Also Pre-legislative scrutiny of the general scheme of the 38th Amendment of the Constitution Bill to repeal the provision on women in the home.

9.30: Committee on Transport: Engagement with Michael McGrail, chairman-designate, Irish Aviation Authority (IAA).

9.30:Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Tackling Childhood Obesity.

13.30: Joint Committee on the Future of Mental Health Care: Report of the Public Service Pay Commission on the health sector.

13.30: Select Committee on Budgetary Oversight:Pre-Budget Scrutiny of Budget 2019 with Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe.

14.00: Joint Committee on Climate Action: Examination of the Third Report of the Citizens’ Assembly.

15.30: European Union Affairs Committee looking at the UK’s withdrawal from EU, future multiannual financial framework, the rule of law, and migration. Discussion with Helen McEntee, Minister of State for European Affairs.

17.00: Housing Committee: The Future of Council Housing - An analysis of the financial sustainability of local authority provided social housing.