Did State body overspend on Leo’s watch as minister?

LEO Varadkar was in charge of a State agency that is now under investigation for overspending, it has emerged.

The Comptroller and Auditor General has confirmed that the 2017 financial statements for the Citizens Information Board have not been certified – amid questions about an €8million overspend while the Taoiseach was previously minister for social protection.

A letter from the C&AG this week noted concerns raised by Independent deputy Maureen O’Sullivan over an alleged €8million in spending that year that did not have Dáil approval.

TDs had voted to restrain spending by the Citizens Information Board by voting down its planned restructuring of the Money Advice and Budgeting Service and the Citizens Information services.

The Government was defeated in a vote on the issue in March 2017 by 90 votes to 51 – but it has been alleged that the spending went ahead anyway.

At the time the then minister for social protection, Mr Varadkar, said the move had been decided on by the board in November 2014 and he had ‘no hand, act or part in its decision’.

But Fianna Fáil point out that the code of practice for State agencies says it is the sole province of the minister to direct policy.

The C&AG says the concerns raised, which included a Joint Oireachtas report from June 2017 which branded the CIB’s management as ‘misguided’, will be ‘considered as part of the review of the 2017 financial statements.’