Mairéad Farrell TD ready to get to work as Chair of Oireachtas Finance Committee

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Public Expenditure and Reform, Mairéad Farrell TD, has today welcomed her appointment as Chair of the Oireachtas Finance Committee.
 
The Galway West TD previously served a member of the Finance Committee, the Committee of Budgetary Oversight and is the former Chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). With her appointment she becomes the first woman to Chair the Finance Committee, repeating her feat as the first woman to Chair the PAC.
 
Teachta Farrell said:
 
“I’m delighted to be appointed Chair of the Finance Committee.  I previously enjoyed my time as a member on the committee, and enjoyed chairing the PAC.  I hope to bring my previous committee experience as well as my professional experience from prior to entering Dáil Eireann to this new role.
 
“The Finance Committee has a very important mandate dealing with legislation that emerges from the Departments of an Taoiseach, Finance and Public Expenditure.  It also has an important role in responding quickly to matters that may arise from important issues of the day.
 
“There are certainly issues I want to see the Committee deal with.  I’m aware of previous work the Committee did in 2018 in relation to investment funds and their growing influence in housing.
 
“That influence has since grown, impacting beyond the housing sector into other domains.
 
“I’m also interested in the way that the state spends money.  Crucially where waste arises, and I was very involved with the PAC in relation to wasteful spending that occurred.    
 
“The Office of Public Works (OPW) then spent €25,000 on an external review of this spending and we were told that review would be published in March. However, there is still no sign of it – many questions still remain.
 
“As Chair, my hope is to ensure that the Finance Committee sets a high standard for public scrutiny.”