Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Secretary General and his team, and Mr. Kelly, principal officer, from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, for attending. I thank Mr. Moran for the statement.

I understand the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine took over responsibility for the fishery harbour centres in 2007 from the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources. We have two documents before us, namely, a statement from the Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr. Buckley, relating to the audit for 2007, and Special Report 82 relating to the period 2008 to 2011. It appears from reading both the report and the statement that the Comptroller and Auditor General is very critical in both instances in what he finds. Mr. Buckley has indicated in the first instance that in his opinion proper books of account were not kept during the year, that is, 2007. Effectively, that is the same response we get in 2014 with regard to the period from 2008 to 2011, namely, that proper books of account were not kept. There is a litany of failures outlined.

Mr. Harkness from the Comptroller and Auditor General's office already detailed many of the inadequacies including the billing that took place retrospectively amounting to €1.2 million; the €2 million in rent that was also billed retrospectively; and the €5 million that was owed to the centres in June 2013. The parking fees, which were to be a stream of income both in Rossaveal and in Howth in particular, materialised in a limited fashion. The result is that 75% of all the income coming from the State and the amount of income for current running costs was very limited coming from the actual harbour dues, charges, rental income and parking fees.

Considering how critical the Comptroller and Auditor General was of his predecessor Department with regard to the accounts for 2007, and that there were proposals for a variety of mechanisms to be put in place to ensure this was dealt with afterwards, why is the situation so bad in regard to the report before us today? Why was there such a delay in producing audited accounts for 2008 to 2011? It is 2014 before we have anything in that regard. Previously, it was 2011 before we had the figures for 2007. When are we likely to get statements for 2012 and 2013? Are there still flaws in the process? How can we be guaranteed that in regard to what have been identified as serious flaws in the operation of the six centres under Mr. Moran's jurisdiction and for which he has responsibility for the financial statements in the last analysis, proper oversight is being exercised by his Department? Can he confirm that we will not see a Comptroller and Auditor General's report for 2012 and 2013 that is damning of that oversight and with regard to the mechanism in operation not being satisfactory to deal with the problems that were encountered and the difficulties identified in 2011 by Mr. Buckley in his report, and those identified in Mr. McCarthy's report?