Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 39:

In page 140, to delete lines 5 to 17 and substitute the following: “160. (1) The Authority shall cause to be prepared any outstanding appropriation accounts of the Policing Authority.”.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Bill provides for the dissolution of the current Policing Authority and the establishment of a new policing and community safety authority. Section 160 provides for the preparation of the final accounts and annual report of the current Policing Authority. As currently drafted, this section is incompatible with the Comptroller and Auditor General Acts. It is proposed to amend section 160(1) to refer to any outstanding appropriation accounts rather than final accounts because, as a Vote-holding body, only appropriation accounts may be prepared in respect of the Policing Authority. It is also proposed to delete sections 160(2) and 160(3) which, as currently drafted, set out timelines for the preparation of the accounts and possible time periods to be covered by the accounts. These matters are set out in the Comptroller and Auditor General Acts. In addition, as currently drafted, provision is made for the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to lay the accounts prepared under this section but, under the Comptroller and Auditor General Acts, appropriation accounts are laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas by the Comptroller and Auditor General. The proposed amendments would address all of these issues.

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