Pressure on Cowen as millions go to waste... Millions of euro of taxpayers' money has been lost by state bodies and agencies, the report from spending watchdog, the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) said. In his first report, new C&AG John Buckley starkly uncovered the extent of the Government's failure to properly control its dwindling finances. It was published as ministers prepare to slash public services in next month's budget, which has been brought forward by six weeks, in a bid to combat the deepening economic downturn. The report revealed that the tax authorities had to make an embarrassing settlement of €1.7m to themselves for unpaid taxes, after failing to tax travel benefits awarded to their own staff. Mr Buckley's report exposed many of the same inadequacies as his predecessor, as he raised direct and specific concerns. He identified: "Shortcomings in the management of the State's financial resources". "Questions as to the eff...
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