HUSHED slush

IT'S incredible to think someone spent over €2.5 million of tax payers money through a secret slush fund. This week the auditors of the trade union SIPTU said they knew knowing about the grants paid out to an official in the organisation by the HSE. It would be interesting to find out who in SIPTU did know about the existence of the fund which was used for junkets and parties. Officials are expected to give evidence to a Dail committee tomorrow - someone will be shifting uneasily in their seat. Read what Brian Cowen said about it here. Before the same committee today was the new go-getter Financial Regulator Mathew Elderfield (pictured). He made the point that new legislation is needed to allow criminal cases be brought against those responsible for high-level white-collar offences. Read more here. This drip-feed of scandals would have happned if there was proper transparency and if details of all government spending was available on-line.