The Quangocracy continues

[BoyRacer]

Shane Ross: Old comrades and quangoists drink up on taxpayer’s tab → independent.ie/business/iris … 89436.html

The semi-state agency was embroiled in another embarrassing controversy late last year when it emerged at the Dail’s Public Accounts Committee that in 2008 it spent nearly €100m of its €160m budget on itself, namely administration and general expenses. The committee heard that only €56m was spent on grants to industry.
The state body has denied the figures, describing them as a “misunderstanding” and insisting that in the years in question “administrative support amounted to less than four per cent of total budget”.
Last night when asked how a party for former staff contributed to the growth of Irish exports, an Enterprise Ireland spokesman responded: “I doubt if it does,” adding that this party had been “done forever”.
Enterprise Ireland has a politically appointed board of directors. It is chaired by businessman and accountant Hugh Cooney, who was a contributor to Taoiseach Brian Cowen’s last re-election campaign.

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