Politics

Varadkar calls for ‘individual accountability’ in public sector

Fine Gael leadership candidate says failings cannot be blamed on resources

‘What we need a little bit more of in this country is individual accountability,’ said Leo Varadkar (pictured last week visiting Wicklow Gaol). Photograph: Cyril Byrne

Sarah Bardon
Thu Jun 1 2017 - 21:53

Minister for Social Protection Leo Varadkar has said he will demand individual accountability from the public sector if elected Taoiseach.

Mr Varadkar told Newstalk on Thursday evening he retained his full confidence in Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan.

However he said the issues emerging at Templemore garda college are a matter of huge concern.

Mr Varadkar said the public body tasked with enforcing the law was managing its accounts “in an extremely worrying and Byzantine way”.

READ MORE

The Minister said he did not want to interfere with an investigation currently underway by the Public Accounts Committee.

However he added: “It’s important that we have those investigations, those investigations will continue, but what I will demand is accountability and that’s not just in the gardaí, it’s across the board.

"We've a lot of investigations, and those investigations are eventually published, there are findings, but what there isn't enough of in Ireland is individual accountability. It's always about lack of resources, systems failure and all those things that we hear too much of.

“What we need a little bit more of in this country is individual accountability and you know politicians are held to account, ministers do lose their jobs and politicians lose their seats, it happens all the time, and it needs to happen a little bit more in the public sector.”

Mr Varadkar is one of two candidates in the Fine Gael leadership contest, which is due to conclude on Friday.

The Irish Times tracker places the Minister on 46 per cent of the vote in contrast to 22 per cent for Minister for Housing Simon Coveney.

If elected Mr Varadkar said he would first speak to Taoiseach Enda Kenny and seek advice on how to proceed.

He will also use the Dáil recess to speak to the Fianna Fail leader Micheál Martin and the Independent members in Government, he said.

LATEST STORIES