Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 188: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if schools will publish annual accounts for the 2011/2012 academic year as committed to in the Programme for Government. [17397/11]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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The Programme for Government does not contain any commitment relating to the publication by schools of annual accounts. However, the Deputy may be aware that under section 18 of the Education Act, schools are required "to keep all proper and usual accounts and records of all monies received by it or expenditure of such monies incurred by it and shall ensure that in each year all such accounts are properly audited or certified in accordance with best accounting practice". Section 18 of the Act further requires that "Accounts kept in pursuance of this section shall be made available by the school concerned for inspection by the Minister and by parents of students in the school, in so far as those accounts relate to monies provided in accordance with Section 12 of the Act."

The Deputy may be referring to the commitment in the Programme for Government that "Schools will publish annual reports". The precise nature of such reports and the timeframe for the implementation of this commitment is currently the subject of consideration by my Department.