Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 132: To ask the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs if he has received an annual report for each of the past three years from the chairman of all State bodies under the auspices of his Department; if the pay of chief executives and employees of such bodies is fully in accordance with Government policy; if he will list any such bodies where this requirement under the code of practice for the governance of State bodies has not been met or no report has been received; if he will provide full details of such issues in such reports and if these reports will be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46706/10]

Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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The details requested by the Deputy in relation to the most recent annual reports submitted to my Department by the State bodies/agencies funded from my Department's Vote Group and laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas are reflected in the Table below. In a small number of cases, 2009 Annual Reports have been received and arrangements to lay them before the Oireachtas are in hand.

In relation to the pay of Chief Executives and employees of such bodies, the relevant Department of Finance circulars have been provided to the bodies, as has a copy of the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies, which, inter alia, requires Chairpersons and Boards to implement Government policy in relation to pay in their bodies. There are particular complexities involved in compiling, auditing and consolidating the annual reports and accounts, and the efforts of both agencies to progress this work have been noted by the North South Ministerial Council on a number of occasions. The current position is that both agencies, in conjunction with the sponsor Departments North and South, are giving priority to bringing publication of the annual reports and accounts up to date.

With regard to Vote 24 Charitable Donations and Bequests, I have been advised that the 2009 Annual Report from the Office of the Commissioners of Charitable Donations and Bequests will be submitted to my Department shortly.

TABLE

* Awaiting clearance of Annual Accounts 2007-09 by C&AGs.