€317k paid to President ‘should be transparent’
PRESIDENTIAL candidate Seán Gallagher last night criticised the annual unaudited payment of €317,000 to the office of the President by the Exchequer, saying the Áras had work to do to ‘restore public trust’.
The former Dragons’ Den star said: ‘Any public money that is spent should be accounted for and should be transparent.’
The entrepreneur said he had submitted details of his own business interests to the Standards in Public Office Commission ‘for full transparency’, and called on other candidates to do the same.
He said he wanted to ‘lead by example’ by volunteering the information without being asked.
He disclosed the move days after it emerged at an Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee hearing that the President’s office receives an unaudited payment of €317,000.
‘About restoring public trust’
‘Like everyone else, the first I learned about some of the spending in Áras an Uachtaráin was through the PAC,’ Mr Gallagher said.
‘What was most concerning there is that some funds have not been audited for the last four years.
‘My commitment would be to make sure all funds are audited and there is full transparency of all public money.’
Mr Gallagher, who yesterday attended the Pregnancy & Baby Fair with his wife Trish and their children Bobby and Lucy, said the principle at stake was transparency.
‘Any public money that is spent should be accounted for and should be transparent.
‘I think this is really about restoring public trust.’
In the wake of the PAC hearing, the office of the President said the €317,000 payment is used to meet costs related to hospitality for the 20,000 people that visit Áras an Uachtaráin each year, State dinners for visiting heads of state and for the many events hosted by the President at Áras an Uachtaráin each year.
Yesterday, Mr Gallagher said he lodged his business details with Sipo because ‘actions speak louder than words’.
‘There is great concern within the public about transparency of public funds and taxpayers’ money,’ he said. ‘So in the last two weeks I’ve made a declaration to Sipo, outlining all my interests for full transparency.
‘That’s important given the concern the public have now about spending of taxpayers’ money, and also the role of the office generally.
‘If elected, I will be seeking to make the office more open and more transparent.’
Meanwhile, Mr Gallagher has said RTÉ should do more to facilitate a debate that includes the incumbent President Michael D Higgins.
Mr Gallagher declined to take part in the first Presidential debate last week as Mr Higgins was unavailable to participate.
‘This is for the office of the President, and I think we have to give due respect to the office and to the incumbent, who must continue to carry on the duties of the President,’ Mr Gallagher said.
‘So I think it’s important that the President would have been able to attend. I think it would have been very helpful had RTÉ just contacted the office of the President and find a date that suited him. Not so much to suit him because he’s a candidate, but because he’s the holder of the office of the President.’
Asked if he would refuse to take part in a debate if any of the other candidates were unavailable, Mr Gallagher said: ‘I think all debates should have all the candidates included so that there’s full fairness and inclusivity.
‘It’s one of the values I’ve lived my life on always. It’s about fairness and about inclusivity. We’ll deal with those issues, I guess, if they arrive.
‘My principle is that I want to take part in debates where everyone is included, and nobody for any reason is excluded.’