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THE OIREACHTAS PUBLIC Accounts committee is likely to examine spending at Áras an Úachtaráin in 2019 – and every year from now on – after the office’s finances became one of the hot topics of the recent Presidential campaign.
There was criticism of the decision by the committee in late September to hold a meeting on Áras finances so close to the election.
The Office of the President is exempt from Freedom of Information legislation and ahead of the meeting the Secretary General of the Department of An Taoiseach had argued that, constitutionally, the President also is not answerable to the Houses of the Oireachtas.
It emerged during the committee session that the Comptroller and Auditor General has no oversight over a €317,000 annual payment to the Office of the President.
The payment has been made from the central exchequer accounts since 1998. This allowance is not connected to the President’s €249,000-a-year salary.
The meeting also heard that the presidency had direct expenditure of €3.6 million in 2016 but that this increased to €8.2 million when the cost of related items such as security and the maintenance of Áras an Úachtaráin were included.
The upkeep of Áras an Uachtaráin for the year was said to cost €2.6 million.
A spokesperson for the President this week said Higgins is committed to establishing an audit committee and is consulting on the best way to achieve effective reporting on all the financial resources of the office.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Fianna Fáil TD and chair of the committee Seán Fleming said he will be proposing that it examines the finances of the Office of the Presidency at least on an annual basis.
He said the claims made before the recent meeting that it may be unconstitutional were “bogus”.
“If it had raised constitutional issues clearly the general secretary [of the department] and the C&AG wouldn’t have been there. Yes there was also criticism about why the PAC hadn’t done it before in the previous decade and what I’m saying now is that it won’t happen again,” he said.
Fleming said the committee will not be looking at this before the Christmas break to “let things settle” after the election but he “will be proposing it in 2019 as a rotating item”.
“That way there won’t be such a hullabaloo in the next campaign,” he said.
Last month, during the campaign, Higgins said said he will return the balance in the Áras account at the end of his presidency.
He referred to the fact that former President Mary McAleese had returned the balance in the account when she left the presidency after two terms.
Higgins said that he intends to return the balance in the account at the end of his first seven-year term. He estimated that the balance would be in the region of €200,000.
TheJournal.ie asked the Áras whether Higgins still has the intention of returning the €200,000 balance on the day his first term officially ends. His spokesperson did not respond.
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Great initiative, a cynic might suggest the Church supplanted pagan holy days with Christian ones and now the neo liberals are doing similar with our revolutionary past but I think we need to celebrate the Easter Revolution with family fun days.
@Jarlath Murphy: A cynic might say that there’s feck all happening outside the pale.
@Brian MacCarthaigh:
The people putting events on in the city are people who live or work in their areas that are giving their time for free to do it. There is nothing stopping people outside Dublin doing the same thing. You can’t wait for things to be handed to you, you have to get up and do it yourself. Moaners get little done.
@john smith so do government mouthpieces
@John Smith: No, this is organised from the top down.
I’m unsure which I dislike more, the grey religious drudgery of yesteryear’s Easter or the ideologically right-on enforced joviality of this. Here’s a tip: lose the ideological bits and focus on the fun.
@8bitplebian:
But you mentioned two ideologies before asking for no ideology? It only becomes ideological when you make it so. Here’s a tip, stop mentioning ideology and focus on the fun.
@John Smith: That’s quite cantankerousky phrased. I suggest you attend the talk on masculinity to work on your delivery.
@8bitplebian:
I don’t take suggestions from confused people on the internet. It was cantankerous on purpose, because your original comment was, in itself, cantankerous.
Amagine getting dragged to “A range of talks on women’s role in Irish society – and how that’s changed and evolved over the years in city hall.” we may as well discuss now modern kitchens appliance spearheaded men’s total conquest of the kitchen area.
As for “controversial Garda commissioners”, how many days does that run? I have only ever known one type of commissioner. Have we ever demoted a commissioner back down to traffic.
It is important to celebrate our culture, hope it’s a good day.
@leartius: Its like winter in Cavan, as if Paddy’s day isn’t good enough that we have to make egits of ourselves every bank holiday weekend. Feck it, I have some spuds to plant…!!
It should be noted that Tallaght is part of our capital, and it has a wealth of events for this day. The library, Rua Red and the Civic Theatre all have loads of events happening, for the kids and the adults. If you are in the area drop on by, events start at 10 am and run until after dark. Tallaght is a vibrant community filled with wonderful people doing amazing things for art and culture, so come down and enjoy the fun. A great day across the country to share our sense of community.
We’re great at celebrating ourselves – the nicest people in the worild. Everyone loves us because we’re great craic…
Sounds like the usual half arsed efforts…merry-go-rounds, ballons and ice cream/burger vans…who’d be bothered.
With the Irish name you’d think it was what is perceived but Bollywood? We have the festival of world cultures every year for that. Were they afraid to marginalise others? Yea I can see India now doing just the same for us.
@leartius: I’d say ur pretty safe from being “dragged” there, stone age man isn’t exactly their target audience. ;)
It might be an idea for An Taoiseach to break the link between the church event of Easter and the 1916 rising. Tying a historical event to a particular religion’s feast day, that is determined by the full moon, is utterly irrational. High time to put 1916 on the calendar on the annual anniversary of the day the proclamation was read and let that be that.
@John Considine: That is true, but don’t you know that the Grinch would come along and steal easter for its own purposes.
More money spent on short termism instead of creating worthwhile outdoor facilities which could provide permanent enjoyment for everyone.
Ah yes more of our licence fee pee’d against a wall, but its okay, there’s nothing like a paean to the masses every once in a while.
Everyone will be cutting their lunch s. For back to work Tuesday
I don’t think there’s anything happening withing 100 miles of me. Typical really.
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