Sinn Féin Leader Mary Lou McDonald TD has announced that Mairéad Farrell TD will be the party’s nominee to chair the Public Accounts Committee.

Teachta McDonald said:

“I am very pleased to nominate a TD of Mairéad’s calibre to this key role in the Oireachtas.

“The Public Accounts Committee performs a very important function in its scrutiny of how public money is spent and holding the government and other bodies to account.

“It is particularly important when we have a government that is synonymous with serial waste and incompetence when it comes to the public purse.

“We’ve seen a catalogue of scandals around the waste of public money with the bicycle shed, the security hut, the phone pouches and of course the ongoing debacle of runaway costs and never ending delays regarding the National Children’s Hospital.

“As the lead party of opposition, it is for Sinn Féin to nominate the Chairperson of the PAC.

“I will be nominating Mairéad Farrell TD to the role. Mairéad brings a considerable wealth of knowledge on budgetary matters.

“She has previously served as party spokesperson on Public Expenditure and subsequently as party spokesperson for Further and Higher Education. She has a Masters in Finance and a Degree in Economics and worked in finance, all of which will further assist her in fulfilling the role.

“Conscious of the continued waste of public money under Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil in government, Mairéad has just this week introduced the Transparency and Social Value in Public Procurement Bill to improve the functioning of the public procurement system. It is an issue she has been proactive on during her time in the Dáil.

“Teachta Farrell is highly respected across the Oireachtas. She is meticulous, forensic and incredibly detail focused. She has the qualities to chair a committee of this nature in a fair and impartial manner. She will bring a real energy, work ethic and unwavering belief in public money being used in the best interests of the people.”