The 34-year-old from Mervue has been nominated by the largest opposition party to replace current Public Accounts Committee (PAC ) chair, Brian Stanley TD, who resigned from Sinn Féin last weekend, claiming the party subjected him to a “kangaroo court” after allegations of misconduct.
“Well they chose me because I have a Masters degree in finance, and over the past four years I have brought forward numerous bills on public expenditure, procurement, transparency and accountability,” she told the Advertiser.
Sinn Féin has been rocked over recent days by revelations that its officials gave references to a former employee being investigated for sex offences, resignation of its Kildare TD Patricia Ryan, and controversy surrounding former senator Niall Ó Donnghaile’s resignation over inappropriate text messages sent to a 17-year-old.
Fellow Co Galway TD Ciaran Cannon (FG ) told reporters he would not attend any PAC chaired by a Sinn Féin member, Labour is reserving its right to cooperate, while the Social Democrats want the watch dog committee’s deputy chairwoman, Catherine Murphy TD, to take the reigns.
“Well I would specifically have questions for the Soc Dems based on their party’s history in Galway,” she told the Advertiser, confirming she was referring to the resignation of former Galway city councillor Owen Hanley who stepped down last year amid allegations of misuse of social media.
“The reality here is that [obstruction of the committee] is blocking democracy. It is the role of the lead opposition party to put forward someone for chair under the D’Hondt system of PAC. That is what we will be doing, and I want to get to work,” she said.
The D’Hondt formula allocates chairmanships based on parliamentary representaion, and Farrell denies that she is now stuck in the middle of a row between her own party and other Government and opposition parties which have been excoriating Sinn Féin over the past week.
“My thing is: you can only control the ‘controllables’. This particular committee is extremely important in terms of looking at finances, and how public money is spent by public bodies. If some parties maybe don’t want things to be looked at – maybe they don’t feel comfortable – that’s what I’m here to do.”
Deputy Farrell’s nomination as PAC chair will have to be ratified by the Dáil’s Business Committee next week. If successful, she will be the powerful body’s first ever female chair.
“It is important to be – hopefully – the first woman elected to the chair, and if other parties block that, why have they never put forward a woman themselves when they've had the lead [Opposition] position?”
Farrell is keen to begin, but the threat of an election hangs in the air.
“My job is to represent the people Galway. How long this PAC chairmanship will even last? That is probably another question... ”
Farrell introduced new legislation last week to provide greater transparency and accountability on public contracts.
Introducing her bill in the Dáil, the Sinn Fein TD highlighted the infamous Government Buildings bike shelter costing over €300,000 and the National Children's Hospital, the cost of which she claims has "floated off into the atmosphere".
The bill was not opposed by Government, and she is hopeful of cross-party support.
