Two Green Party TDs turn down €9,500 Oireachtas committee job

Francis Noel Duffy and Patrick Costello opted not to chair Budgetary Oversight Committee in role previously held by Neasa Hourigan

Neasa Hourigan was removed from all Oireachtas committees after she voted against the Government in a Sinn Féin motion to extend the eviction ban. Photo: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Gabija Gataveckaite

Two Green Party TDs turned down offers to chair the Oireachtas Budgetary Oversight Committee, the role stripped from rebel TD Neasa Hourigan.

TDs Francis Noel Duffy and Patrick Costello both turned down offers of the role as senior party figures tried to appoint a Green TD to the position.

However, the TDs declined and the role has gone to Fianna Fáil, who have appointed former minister and Offaly TD Barry Cowen as chair.

Because Ms Hourigan is a member of the Green Party, the vacant position would have normally been filled by a member of the party.

The position was left vacant after she was removed from all Oireachtas committees when she voted against the Government in a Sinn Féin motion to extend the eviction ban.

It is understood it was offered to Mr Costello and Mr Duffy by senior party figures.

Mr Duffy said he turned the role down for “personal reasons”. Mr Costello did not respond to a request for comment.

Green TD Steven Matthews recently joined the committee, but sources said it was not possible for him to chair both the Budgetary Oversight Committee and the Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, a role he already holds.

Other party TDs chair other committees or have other senior roles within the party.

Ministers, junior ministers and senators cannot serve as committee chairs.

Former agriculture minister Mr Cowen, who was sacked by Tánaiste Micheál Martin in 2020, has now been appointed to the role, which carries a salary top-up of €9,500 a year.

Mr Cowen did not respond to a request for comment by Independent.ie.

He was sacked by Mr Martin in 2020 after he refused to address the Dáil over a controversy involving his driving ban.

Mr Martin maintained that the garda file relating to Mr Cowen's road traffic matter had raised issues that required more explanation.

Mr Cowen, at the time in July 2020, said he was "surprised and disappointed" by the move and insisted he had made every effort to clarify the matter.

However, he was sacked after declining to make a second public statement on the controversy.

Mr Cowen had been in the Cabinet for just 17 days.

Mr Martin has previously said the door is open for Mr Cowen to return to the Cabinet.

The Oireachtas Budgetary Oversight committee has a role in the budgetary formation process and reviews issues that may form part of Budget considerations.