The Public Accounts Committee will today declare that the Garda Commissioner failed in her duty to raise concern about financial irregularities at Templemore.
Its report on the financial issues there will also accuse Gardaí of internal dysfunction – and an attempt to stop outsiders from discovering the extent of the problems.
The Public Accounts Committee has been holding hearings into the financial issues at Templemore for two months – and today launches its report on the matter, dealing with events from 2015 onward.
And that report is heavily critical of Noirin O’Sullivan – who, as Commissioner, is the Accounting Officer for the Garda Budget.
In July 2015 – just a few days after learning of the Templemore issues – O’Sullivan told the State’s auditor there was nothing of concern to report in that Budget. The PAC says that was clearly not the case.
And it says by failing to disclose the issues – and give the State’s auditor the opportunity to look into the matter – she effectively supplanted the role of independent auditors.
The report also casts doubt over O’Sullivan’s story of her actions when she DID learn of the Templemore issues – and criticises senior Gardai for withholding information from auditors when it was requested.
The damning findings will throw the ball back into the government’s court – it has consistently said the PAC should be given time for its own independent inquiry into O’Sullivan’s behaviour. It may now have to deal with the findings.
