http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsvj9ASCkQ0

YouTube: Hugh O’Connell

INDEPENDENT TD FINIAN McGrath has said that the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, John McGuinness, should resign his position following comments about travel costs for spouses this morning.

McGuinness said this morning that a case could be made for ministers to be accompanied by their spouses on foreign trips and that in some circumstances the cost of this should be covered by the State.

This followed a report in the Irish Independent this morning that McGuinness had argued for this to be the case when he was a junior minister in 2007.

PAC colleague Simon Harris tweeted that that the credibility of the committee cannot be undermined while other TDs have been critical of McGuinness.

Speaking at a press conference about reforming the Seanad, PAC member Shane Ross said that he did not know enough abut the story but was of the view that no spouses should be paid for by the taxpayer.

The other independent TDs, McGrath, Maureen O’Sullivan and Mattie McGrath were also critical with McGrath and O’Sullivan pointing out that they wanted Ross to chair the committee in the first place. Watch what they had to say in the video above.

PAC chair: State should pay for wives to join ministers on some foreign trips

Poll: Should the State cover travel costs of ministers’ spouses?