Frank "Four Marinas" Fahey

Not content with assisting in giving away Ireland's gas reserves Frank Fahey, property tycoon, has been handing out Marinas left and right, without following the rules, when he was Minister for the Marine.

Since demoted, Mr Fahey, now a Minister of State, directed that €5.7 million in grant aid be given to marine leisure projects at Cahersiveen and Kenmare in Co Kerry, at Roundstone, Co Galway, and at Rosses Point, Co Sligo, in 2000, before proper evaluation reports were carried out, the report from the Public Accounts Committee published yesterday stated.

The Irish Times reports that according to the PAC report, the direction given by Mr Fahey to his department for the grant aid was "at variance with the proposed structures and selection processes" for the marine tourism grants scheme.

Virtually no relevant information on the viability or tourism value of the projects was made available at the time the grants were announced in December 2000, according to the report.
Committee chairman Michael Noonan said yesterday that the project of most concern was the Cahersiveen marina which cost an estimated €3.5 million.

He said a 93-berth marina was developed of which 38 berths were for tourists and 55 berths for private lease. In effect the main beneficiaries were private yacht owners who had their berths supplemented by the taxpayer to the tune of about €30,000 each.

Frankie, Frankie, what are you like? I wonder why Bertie dropped you from the front bench?