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State of the Nation: Watchdog or ambulance chaser? The PAC is under scrutiny again...

Here’s everything you need to know about what’s happening in Irish politics right now…

HERE IS THEJOURNAL.IE‘s comprehensive guide to what’s happening in the political world this morning.

Everyone’s talking about… 

With the political world in recess this week it gives us a chance to focus on one of the running stories of the 31st Dáil – the role of the Public Accounts Committee. PAC chairman John McGuinness has spearheaded a powerful Dáil committee that has played a central role in uncovering and developing many of the controversies of recent years.

pac-5 Two prominent PAC members Shane Ross and Mary Lou McDonald Oireachtas TV Oireachtas TV

It’s the committee where ex-garda commissioner Martin Callinan made those infamous ‘disgusting’ remarks, where Maurice McCabe gave ground-breaking testimony and where we learned all about ‘top-ups’.

But PAC has also been accused of straying beyond its remit and been compared to a bunch of ambulance chasers. This morning, the chair of another Oireachtas committee has accused the PAC of having an “insatiable appetite to perform in the media and to be the news story”. As you’d expect, that’s not gone down down well.

The agenda 

  • The Dáil and Seanad are adjourned until next week. 

dail recess

  • The weekly Cabinet meeting takes place tomorrow. 

What the others are saying… 

  • The government has decided against setting up a new head of the Civil Service role as part of reform proposals to be announced later this week, the Irish Times says. 
  • The Irish Independent says the PPS in Northern Ireland has still not published the findings of a probe into the decision not to prosecute Gerry Adams for withholding information about his brother, convicted sexual abuser Liam Adams.
  • The Herald and the Irish Examiner both carry a story by Gordon Deegan which says the Department of Foreign Affairs is having trouble clearing its stock of wine which was found to be worth over €77,000 in 2013.

In case you missed it… 

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