THE FATE of Fianna Fáil’s nominee for chairman of the influential Dáil Public Accounts Committee lies in the hands of the Taoiseach and the Tánaiste.
The two leaders decide this morning whether to back former minister of state John McGuinness for the post against Independent TD Shane Ross, according to party sources. Mr McGuinness is expected to win today’s election at the first public meeting of the committee, but needs the support of Fine Gael and Labour TDs.
Traditionally, the largest opposition party has been entitled to nominate one of its TDs to chair the committee, which acts as a public watchdog for State spending.
However, the technical group of Independent TDs have said they will not support a Fianna Fáil nominee because of the party’s recent record on the economy, and have nominated Shane Ross instead. Sinn Féin, which has one seat, has not announced its position but is expected to back Mr Ross.
Fianna Fáil has only two seats on the committee, so the vote between the two men would be 2-2. Traditionally, the vote is decided among the opposition parties but in the event of a tie the Government members will be forced to decide the matter.
Catherine Murphy TD, the whip of the technical group, last night called on the Government parties not to follow precedent by supporting the nominee of the largest Opposition party, Fianna Fáil.
She said these were unprecedented times and a Fianna Fáil nominee would not have the moral authority to hold the Government to account, given its record in handling the economy.
Labour sources said the decision had been referred to party leader Eamon Gilmore. Fine Gael said it had yet to make a decision; however, the expectation among committee members was that it would support Mr McGuinness.
The vote is the main item on the agenda for today’s first meeting of the committee, along with the election of a vice-chairman. The other members of the committee are Fine Gael’s Paul Connaughton, John Deasy, Paschal Donohoe, Simon Harris, Kieran O’Donnell and Eoghan Murphy; Anne Ferris, Michael McCarthy and Derek Nolan of Labour and Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald.
