TDs seek answers from key figures in Bord na Mona row

ALL of the senior figures close to the ongoing Bord na Mona row, including the Minister for Energy, Mr Lowry, have been invited to appear before a special hearing of the Joint Committee on Commercial State-Sponsored Bodies.

As well as Mr Lowry, the committee yesterday decided to invite his Department secretary, Mr John Loughrey, the current and former chairmen of Bord na Mona, Mr Pat Dineen and Mr Brendan Halligan and the managing director, Dr Eddie O'Connor.

Fianna Fail TD Mr Martin Cullen said he wanted to know if Mr Dineen, when appointed by the Minister, was told of "a particular situation in Bord na Mona" and given specific instructions by Mr Lowry to go in and deal with the matter or whether Mr Dineen had come by the matter after he had taken up his function as chairman.

Mr Cullen strongly criticised the leaking of documents to the media and said that "clearly there was an agenda".

There were "serious questions to be answered by the Department of Energy on this and, indeed, by the Minister".

Mr Cullen said Mr Halligan, who had said he would come before the committee if asked, should be invited as he was a "major player".

Mr Dineen should be invited so he could answer questions on any "terms of reference" under which he had been appointed, he said.

Dr O'Connor should be invited so he could "put his point of view" and speak of the improvements he had introduced in Bord na Mona, Mr Cullen said.

Mr Lowry's handling of the Bord na Mona controversy was "typical" of how he had handled semi-State companies since coming into office and "typical" of how he had used the media.

The Fianna Fail energy spokesman, Mr Seamus Brennan, said it would be "very interesting to know if the Minister had any role in orchestrating what has been "happening".

He said £100,000 had been spent tracking down how £66,000 had been spent, referring to consultants' reports into Dr O'Connor's remuneration.

Some people believed Bord na Mona should "stick to its knitting, as the Minister put it recently". Others believed it should expand and pursue takeovers. "If that is what the row is about then it should be stated directly", Mr Brennan said.

Fine Gael TD Mr Jim O'Keeffe strongly criticised Mr Brennan for his "innuendoes about a hidden agenda". It was "rubbish" to say the government was not committed to the future of Bord na Mona or that it wanted to limit diversification.

Mr Sean Ryan, a Labour TD, also criticised the "innuendoes" from Mr Brennan. The Labour Party would not stand over any activity that sought to undermine Bord na Mona, he said.

Both Mr Dineen and Dr O'Connor should now consider their positions, Mr Ryan said.

Mr Feargal Quinn, an Independent Senator, said he believed Dr O'Connor had done "a marvellous job" with Bord na Mona. He suggested that Dr O'Connor be suspended on full pay for the duration of an investigation that should take "a period of days", and that would hopefully lead to Dr O'Connor's reinstatement.

Dr O'Connor should then serve out the rest of his contract, be paid in line with Government guidelines, and receive the stated pension entitlements. His tax affairs should remain his own responsibility. Money he had received in excess of guidelines should not be sought back.

It was "totally out of line" that Dr O'Connor should receive compensation should he leave Bord na Mona, Mr Quinn said.

The committee chairman, Labour TD Mr Liam Kavanagh, said he hoped the hearing could be held next week.