Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I want to move on to the issue of corporate governance. There is a big spend in each ETB, The reason we have representatives of the ETBs before us today is that some of them are performing very well in audits and are up to date. I can hold up Carlow-Kilkenny ETB in my area as an example. I am delighted it has submitted its audits for 2015 and 2016. It is leading the way in that respect. However, there are other ETBs that have not completed accounts for 2015 or 2016. It is now 2017 and we are heading into 2018. Is is fair that some ETBs are making an effort to be up to date in their audits and to keep in line with the system, while other ETBs are not doing so? These ETBs are looking for money for 2018 and we have not seen how the money they were allocated has been spent in 2015, not to mention 2016 or 2017. That is not right. I am self-employed and if I did not submit my accounts by the end of last month, I would incur a surcharge from the taxman and would have to pay through the nose. Why are we allocating taxpayers' money to people who are not performing and not submitting audits? How does the Department know what way they are performing or spending their allocated money when it does not have audits to prove it is being spent? The Comptroller and Auditor General has not looked at some of their books. We do not know what is happening in them when they have not provided audits. This is a big mistake and a penalty should be imposed on boards that do not come up with their figures and submit their audits. If they were only paid on a quarterly basis until they submitted their audits, perhaps they would up their game. Any corporations or bodies should be preparing audits and showing how they are spending the money they have been allocated. It is a significant amount of taxpayers' money. The details of the way it is being spent should be before us for us to scrutinise on behalf of the people who are paying their taxes.