No payments to Rehab directors following Flannery revelations

Rehab directors will not be paid fees for consulting, lobbying or any other services following revelations of money paid to Frank Flannery, former CEO and director who was also a Fine Gael strategist.

The Dáil Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was told the Rehab board has "resolved" payments to directors, except vouched expenses, "will not be permitted to happen again".

Paid €409,000
Mr Flannery was Rehab CEO until 2006 and joined the board in 2011. He resigned as a director and from a senior position in Fine Gael last month after details of payments made to him for lobbying emerged.

PAC yesterday heard Mr Flannery was paid over €409,000 in professional fees for consulting, lobbying and other activities for seven years.

Mr Flannery was paid to lobby the Departments of Social Protection, Education and Justice, among other activities.

Rehab chairman Brian Kerr yesterday told PAC it was "ill-advised" to pay Mr Flannery after he had resigned as CEO in 2006, and took up a post on the board in 2011.

No details
It also emerged his consultancy bills were paid by Rehab's Irish operations until 2011. Money was then paid through a UK subsidiary, TBG learning.

Keith Poole, Rehab's director of finance, said this could be seen as unusual but was unable to provide an explanation.

Payments to Mr Flannery in 2011 were in the Rehab accounts for that year under the category of payments to directors, but there were no details of the exact activities billed for.

Mr Flannery got €40,000 in professional fees in 2007, €68,750 in 2008, €44,044 in 2009, €60,000 in 2010, €51,000 in 2011, €66,000 in 2012 and €79,950 in 2013.

Declan Doyle, the chairman of the remuneration committee, said no director should be in receipt of fees.