Further revelations about unorthodox partnership funds at PAC

At a long session of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on 16 December, there was further grilling of Michael Scanlon, Sec General in the Dept of Health and Cathal McGee, HSE chief on the unorthodox SKILL fund and new information on another health services partnership fund.

No justification for millions in ‘unorthodox’ fund

On 7 October 2010, HSE chief, Cathal McGee had his first outing to the Oireachtas in his new role as CEO. Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee alongside officials from the departments of health and finance, a catalogue of bad governance, bad accounting and no transparency was revealed for money allocated to the controversial SKILL programme.

HSE and Dept of Health are ultimately responsible for unaccounted €2.35 million

So what has happened €2.35 million of public money that was channelled through the HSE to the siptu union. HSE chief Brendan Drumm says he has no idea, Siptu say they have never got that money. So what was this fund for, how was it spent and why on earth did no state agency take responsibility for the annual €250,000 fund over eight years? You can read what I think below or hear it here.