John Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am not sure either. Perhaps the Chairman could have a discussion with the Chair of the Committee of Public Accounts. I would be led by the outcome of that discussion. While the media rightly scrutinise spending on travel and subsistence by local representatives, it is my understanding that the Committee of Public Accounts cannot question the spending of local government executives in that respect.

If that is the case, there is then an onus on this committee to highlight the spending in that area because it is a significant area of expenditure and one that, in particular, local public representatives feel quite aggrieved about, in that their expenses are published. That is fine, right and proper but they do not feel that there is oversight and scrutiny of the executives within local government who are on significantly higher salaries than the councillors themselves.