Tug-of-war developing between three Dail committees over Watt investigation – Extra.ie

Three Dil committees are competing to establish the right to examine the controversial 292,000 salary for the new secretary general at the Department of Health.

Senior civil servant Robert Watt will receive an increase of over 80,000 if his temporary appointment to the role is confirmed.

The Public Accounts Committee, the Finance and Public Expenditure Committee and the Budgetary Oversight Committee all want to shine a light on how the increase was agreed by ministers.

Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath, of Fianna Fil, has been summoned to attend the Finance and Public Expenditure Committee. The committee, which has an oversight role over Mr McGrath and his department, has also sought all communications between Minister McGrath and the Taoiseach and all relevant departments on this issue.

Fianna Fil TD John McGuinness, who is the committee chairman, said: I am sure Mr McGrath will welcome the opportunity to clarify the sequence of events which led to this impressive pay increase.

He added: It offers the minister a real opportunity to clarify and explain, in a transparent way, this sequence of events in a public forum. It is a welcome exercise in transparent government.

A tug-of-war is developing between the three committees over who will lead the overall investigation, which will only be resolved after February 2.

Senior sources within the Public Expenditure Committee are not happy with the interest of the PAC in the issue.

One top figure warned: We are the appropriate supervisory committee for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. The PAC are fishing outside of their remit. They are experiencing the committee equivalent of Rockall.

Outside of grilling the Public Expenditure Minister, the senior figure added that they would be questioning all relevant figures including Mr Watt, the Taoiseach, Tnaiste and Finance Minister. We want to know how this arose and how it was suggested, and we want a paper trail, the insider added.

Another source noted: Something curious is going on in the mandarin power game. Robert Watt and Martin Fraser [Secretary General of the Taoiseachs Office] were the big beasts here.

Now, they noted, one of the big beasts, Robert, looks as though he is being sent into a semi-detached but very lucrative exile.

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Tug-of-war developing between three Dail committees over Watt investigation - Extra.ie