Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this important issue. I feel I am repeating my words because on 27 September 2012, I raised the same questions. There may have been a different context because it related to workers getting paid proper redundancy, but I referred to the ongoing scandal of the abandoned hostel project in Tipperary town. I gather Pobal, FÁS and the Garda Síochána are conducting investigations, but this has been going on for three and a half years. I was informed on 27 September, eight months ago, that we could expect some results soon. At the time, we were promised the FÁS report by April 2013, but now we have been told it will not be available until the summer. This beggars belief in a modern-day democracy with accountability.

I am pleased the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Skills, Deputy Cannon, is here today. This was a fantastic project which was the brainchild of and organised by a committee. Exemplary work had been carried out by FÁS participants under a community initiative scheme in Tipperary town. Tremendous work was carried out and this project was nine tenths finished. Unfortunately, greed or whatever got involved and questions were raised over moneys. These are not my words but the words of an official from FÁS, whose report stated that an estimated €150,000 in grant money was incorrectly drawn down. That was the phrase used. Incorrectly drawn down could mean many things. I have seen cases throughout the country where small sums of money have been misappropriated. I have seen former Members of the House being arrested and hauled into court for small sums of money, perhaps only several hundred euro, and rightly so if there was any wrongdoing. However, it is remarkable that a case of misappropriation of funding to the tune of €150,000 could drag on for three and a half years. I raised this with Ministers in the previous Government who were carrying out investigations.

I salute Pobal and FÁS for the amount of funding they put into many valued and inspiring projects in Tipperary town and county. We want this to continue because we have a great reserve and resource of community-driven people in the town who want to work on these initiatives. I could name those involved but I will not because they are many and varied. However, this is tainting the good work of everyone involved in Tipperary town. It beggars belief that three and a half years have passed but there has been no result from the investigations as of yet.

What is the Minister of State hiding? What is being hidden from the public? Moneys were misappropriated. The chairman and four members of the board resigned because of the irregularities they uncovered in April 2010. The chairman reported to the Garda that his name was falsified on documents. That has been accepted but no action has been taken. The building is lying idle despite an investment of €4 million. Worse still, the good names of the members of the board who resigned have been left hanging in the air with allegations, innuendo, suggestions and implications. It is simply not acceptable.

I held a meeting recently with Councillor Mary Hanna Hourigan and Maurice Crotty, two concerned people. I salute the bravery of Councillor Hourigan in raising this several times in spite of being told to leave it alone because it was not something to be talked about. She raised the matter with Chief Superintendent Keogh of the Thurles district. Thankfully, she has reinvigorated and reinitiated the Garda investigation. I thank and salute her. I hope we get to the bottom of this. I compliment the officers who have been appointed. I have great faith and trust in them.

However, this is shameful. It is three and a half years later and this has been left hanging. We must have openness and transparency. The troika is watching everything we do.

Someone needs to be watching what we do if €100,000 of taxpayers' money can be incorrectly drawn down. That is fraud, it is common criminality and should not have happened. I am chairman of a CE scheme and the board once spent three hours at a meeting trying to explain a €20 underspend, and rightly so because accountability is only right and proper. This, however, makes a mockery of all the other projects in the State and the voluntary boards of directors. Above all, it is an insult to the former chairman, the board members, the staff and the community.

The truth must be brought out here. I am not worth my salt in this House if I do not expose this wrongdoing in my own county. I am delighted the gardaí have restarted the investigation but what about the Pobal investigation and the FÁS investigation?

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