“The Committee was taken aback at the range of issues including breaches of public procurement policy, staff engaging in activities that led to conflicts of interest and failures of oversight that emerged when we examined the three VECs. Given the level of spend, which is approaching €1billion, it is clear that there is a need to review the oversight arrangements that are in place and I was disappointed that both the Department of Education and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform had an almost ‘hands off approach’ to the issue of accountability. Basically they were saying that it’s a matter primarily for the relevant VEC. I don’t accept that and the PAC will be asking these Departments to up their game in the area of oversight of VECs”