THE DÁIL Public Accounts Committee is expected to examine this week whether there was any political involvement in decisions to allocate grants worth several million euro to Siptu as part of the controversial Skill training programme.
In a report commissioned by the Health Service Executive (HSE) into the Skill controversy, former director general of business lobby group Ibec Turlough O’Sullivan said it was clear from a variety of sources that the fund to the health division of Siptu had been established “with political support”.
The committee is to resume hearings on Thursday into allegations of waste and poor governance associated with the Skill training programme, which was established to upskill lower-paid staff in the health service.
As part of Skill funding, the Department of Health authorised an annual grant – eventually totalling €2.3 million – to Siptu.
The money was paid into an account known as the Siptu National Health and Local Authority Levy fund. However, Siptu at national level has said that it knew nothing about it. The HSE has contended that money paid into this account was used, in part, to finance overseas trips made by trade union leaders and public officials.
Last night, chairman of the committee Bernard Allen said that he was very concerned about material contained in new reports into the Skill controversy and a separate partnership forum in the health service, which emerged last Friday.
He said that the committee would be asking witnesses on Thursday what interaction there had been between senior management and political figures.
He said that it would also be discussing any documentation available.
Last month, The Irish Timesreported that the Department of Health had uncovered documentation which indicated that the annual grant to Siptu by the department was approved by then Minister Micheál Martin in September 2004. The documents show that Mr Martin told Siptu official Matt Merrigan that money would continue to be provided to support the training of "frontline supervisors".
Mr Allen also said that he would be discussing with the committee whether former HSE chief executive Prof Brendan Drumm should be invited to give evidence on what he knew about the issues.
The new chief executive of the HSE, Cathal Magee, and the secretary general of the Department of Health, Michael Scanlan, will appear before the committee on Thursday.
Separately, it has emerged that a long-awaited report commissioned by Siptu on the Skill controversy will not be completed until January.
It is understood the union is awaiting the completion of a forensic accountancy report commissioned by signatories to the Siptu National Health and Local Authority Levy fund account.
The Public Accounts Committee was told in November that this account was controlled by Mr Merrigan and a senior Siptu member, Jack Kelly.