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SECRETARY GENERAL OF Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DEPR), Robert Watt, has said he did not mean to cause offence to committee members by referring to them as a “mob”.
Members of the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee (PAC) were not happy today when reports filtered through from a journalist’s tweet that Watt, who was due to appear before the committee, said the chairperson “has to control the mob”.
Sinn Féin’s David Cullinane referred to the tweet before Watt took his seat at the committee today, stating that it was “unacceptable”.
“I think that is outrageous,” he said.
When Watt took his seat, he was questioned about his remarks outside the committee room, and asked if he did say the above remark.
Watt hesitated and said “if anyone takes offence to what I said I apologise”. He was asked whether he did say the comment a few minutes prior outside the committee room.
Watt replied: “I don’t recall saying it… I don’t recollect to be honest.”
He then added: “It is a colloquial expression… if I said something to offend, it was not meant to offend.”
Fine Gael’s Alan Farrell said he was disappointed with Watt’s comments outside the committee room, stating:
“I don’t consider a colloquial expression like that to be helpful and it is unbecoming of your office.”
Watt sighed openly when Independent TD Catherine Connolly questioned the secretary general over the comment again, asking if he said it or not, and whether he will speak to the journalist who tweeted the remark if it is not true.
“If I said it I apologise for that and that was not meant to be offensive in any way,” he said, adding again that he did not have “any recollection” of what he said 45 minutes previous.
Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy said she did not want to labour the point, but added that the remark “didn’t get this meeting off to a good start”.
Today’s meeting got off to a bumpy start today, after members were only told last night that the Chief Procurement Officer Paul Quinn would not be appearing before them.
Quinn was due to face questioning over his role and oversight of the National Children#’s Hospital (NCH). He sat on the hospital board, though Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has stated that he did so on a personal capacity.
This has been widely disputed by the opposition, who state that a department circular states that Quinn was obliged to report back to his line minister about any concerns relating to the project.
Members of the committee were outraged today when the committee chair Sean Fleming said Robert Watt, Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, informed him that Quinn would not be attending today.
Fleming said that Watt is the accounting officer, and therefore he is the only one accountable to the committee. He said the decision for Quinn not to attend is at Watt’s behest.
Sinn Féin’s David Cullinane said there is a level of contempt being shown to Oireachtas committees, while Fianna Fáil’s Marc McSharry said “two fingers” were being given to the committee, along with a message of “we’ll do what we want, when we want”.
He added that they were living in a “virtual dictatorship” where there is no accountability to the public about the waste of taxpayers’ money.
Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy, who originally sought the attendance of Quinn, said that it is entirely within the committee’s remit to question processes and the failure of processes, in this case, the NCH.
Fleming said, that as far as he can recall, there has never been an incidence of an official refusing to attend the committee, who added that he felt it was disrespectful that the committee only heard last night that Quinn would not be attending.
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This is how those who think they are unaccountable feel about those who would try and hold them to account.
@Dave Doyle: No, this is how those trying to do their best with limited resources feel when hounded by a bunch of short-term, ignorant politicians scrambling to score quick political points at the expense of those who actually do the work that the politicians take credit for.
@Dr Richard DeWitt:
What planet are you Richard?
Have you forgotten the Tunnel , Luas, Broadband , case after case of mind numbing incompetence from our cosseted and grossly overpaid Civil Service bosses.
@Barry Foster: I am not a planet Barry, but thanks for asking.
Besides all that, the Sec Gen probably earns around 180k. That’s a take home of less than 9k per month. While it may seem like a lot of money to many, this guy has responsibility beyond the imagination of most people. And, let’s not forget, the vast, vast majority of his staff are earning nothing like that – typical 40-70k salaries I would imagine.
@Dr Richard DeWitt: The purpose of the Public Accounts Committee is to scrutinize how etc public money is spent from Accounting Officers of Government Departments and Government funded agencies taking into account C&AG Report’s(who attends all meetings)& in my opinion they are an excellent hardworking Committee.
Governments form policies which are then carried out by Departments.
PAC has done tremendous work re many issues eg Garda College Scandal, Cervical Check,etc.It is their duty to ask questions and scrutinize public spending,value for money,etc.
@Dr Richard DeWitt:
Sorry Richard but you really do seem to be at a considerable distance from reality. You mention the Sec.Gen (180K) as having a very responsible job but he is not accountable in the true sense of the word and in keeping with large swathes of the Public Sector will never be fired or even sanctioned . The Sec Gen. would need to actually physically assault somebody before he might lose his job.
Senior Civil servants who denigrate PAC verbally or simply do not appear before them when requested to do so illustrate in no uncertain terms the problems which are rife at the higher levels of our Public Sector.
Some if the committee’s are a mob… politicians showboating their feigned outrage at the public service … nobody ever gets fired … demoted or any other sanctions … down with this sort if stuff.
@John Kelly: What I heard on radio the other day is that many of the committee members come and go during a session. They come, ask their question AKA showboating, then leave. Disgraceful carry on, they get paid extra to sit on these committees which in itself is wrong.
@John Kelly: I think you need folks who have a bit of a thick skin to ask the hard questions. Without these type of folks, the powers to be would have to answer to no one. I think we need people that ask the hard questions
@James Wallace:
Agreed. Most of this committee is comprised of poorly educated self promoting individuals who constantly engage in poorly researched showboating rants. The Supreme Court agreed with this assessment in their judgment last week in relation to the case concerning the lady from Rehab.
@Dan: We do … but this format isn’t working .. it’s turned into a showboating exercise .. especially the shinners and in fairness they are good at asking awkward questions and expressing outrage but they get nowhere unfortunately..
@Colonel Grant: 100% agree. Dail Committee’s have been brought into dispute by the actions of the PAC. There needs to be a total overhaul of how committees work, they are too important to be used for showboating and grandstanding. The first thing that needs to be done is that Oireachtas members on committees should stand aside from their political parties for the duration of their time on a committee. Their service is to the state not their political party especially given they are paid to sit on committees.
@Colonel Grant: the lady from rehab was destroyed in a non legally binding witchhunt… nothing was proven … deserves every penny she gets… not standing up for rehab btw… just the rights of the individual in our democracy…
@James Wallace: I cannot understand why a TD should get payed extra to be part of a committee.
@CrabaRev: getting paid extra for doing the job they’re already paid to do.
@James Wallace: They come and go if there are votes in the Dail!
I think the light bulb in Watt’s head is set on dim but he need not worry, he’ll meet no resistance.
He’s be right I’d say. A talking shop with tones of pseudo disgust and anger .
@Eugene Walsh: it’s not about him being right, it’s the attitude of these guys in these positions.
They don’t give one toss, they get well paid to spend other people’s money, and if it goes pear shaped .. so what?. They figure the common people are just muppets, and know well they can tie these clown committees in knots.
These civil servants are insulting the public by refusing to be held to account. Imagine the boss saying he wants to see you in his office and you refused,you would be sacked,legislation must be brought forward to hold these people to account.
@@mdmak33: The guy on the committee is not his boss. The minister of his dept is his boss
@Ronan Fahy: Accounting Officers of Government Departments are obligated to attend PAC & to answer questions!
The PAC is comprised of self serving crawthumpers seeking media exposure by sound bytes of self righteous indignation. At times the committee adopt the mob mentality to achieve this exposure.
Based on the appalling treatment the PAC meted out to Rehab’s Angela Kearns, Mr Watson’s alleged description of the PAC as “a mob” is entirely accurate and well justified.
Its probably more like a mob alright when its made up of incompetent politicians.
Imagine when you’ve got suitable qualifications, rose up the civil service rankings, got every job and promotion through rigourous job interviews, and at the end of it all, your boss is a grossly incompetent career politician with little more than a few years of local county council work experience. You’d be pulling your hair out with them, if you had any left.
Thats pretty much the whole of the FF and FG parties, which makes them grossly unfit for national gov.
Some of the TDs involved in the various committees cannot help themselves. On one hand most are woefully inexperienced and unqualified in the matters they are examining and feel they have “carte blanche” to disregard their witnesses rights in their quest for the “truth.” If this approach results in juicy broadcastable soundbites which gain them cheap populist publicity then they consider it a perk. Judical committees are a safer type of procedure.
It just shows these people have never been held accountable for any of there actions and when somebody questions them they literally shite a brick and throw the rattler out of cradle.
This guy(Watt) needs to be moved to a less onerous position which requires no common sense or diplomacy
@Niall Nordell: yeah like out the door altogether
These comments demonstrate the attitude within the Public Sector hierarchy to being called to account for gross incompetence. No heads will roll ,and in a very short time we will again be presented with more instances of gross cost overruns, whether it’s a Tunnel, a Luas Line, Broadband contract or a Hospital we should be getting used to it by now .
It’s so typically Irish unelected State employees think they are unaccountable to us the Irish people.
It’s simple answer the questions and account for the expenditure and don’t feel it’s your duty to protect those who are inept including line ministers.
Christina in the article you write that he intended to offend but it must be Not intended.
PAC meetings can be found on Oireachtas Debates as transcripts and their numerous Reports there also.From reading comments not many have accessed these transcripts or Reports which is a pity as I feel PAC unfairly critisized!
Marc macsharry, was his Dad a friend of Charlie ? And European Commissioner ?
Give him and his colleague their P45s
We all know that Robbie Watt is a quality public servant from his personal performance over the years, but he & all public servants need to respect & acknowledge, that the elected Dail & Government depend on them for the effective administration of the state.
These Dail committees presently have a pile of administrative failings to examine, despite huge expenditures on consultancies before, during, & after capital projects, & whilst some elected TDs can overstep from frustration or showboating, it is a very necessary process.
We want to see our taxes used properly, you are all accountable, so leave your annoyance at some TDs back in the office, please.
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