Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will just make a broad comment. The Committee of Public Accounts, along with the entire public of the Republic of Ireland, are sick and tired of the lack of accountability in the public service. We see it in finance; banks; the HSE; the ETBs; and in education. The Committee of Public Accounts no longer has any latitude in these matters. If a body is obliged to meet a statutory obligation then it will meet it. Members of the public rightly condemn the national Parliament for letting some people off the hook and not others. If there is a statutory duty then it is to be met: it is not negotiable.

If one of the things that a Committee for Public Accounts can achieve in national Parliament is to make public bodies accountable, then we will have done a good day's work. Others can do as they choose. I think the witnesses will understand, however, that we reflect the public mood here and we cannot stand over claims that it does not matter if accounts are sent in a year late. The Department stood over this but this Committee for Public Accounts will not. I am giving a strong message here, and I say to the Department of Education and Skills, and to the ETBs under its aegis, that they should use this committee as grounds for coming the heavy on matters like this one. The Department should use us; we do not mind if the Department is telling the ETBs that that Seán Fleming fellow is on its case about this. We are happy to take a bit of flak if it achieves a good result.

Deputy Kelly wants to come in here.