Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I propose that we write to the Environmental Protection Agency for a response on it.

No. 1007C relates to an individual who has been in communication with me regarding a social welfare appeal. The matter appears to be with the Office of the Ombudsman. I propose that we note the correspondence and allow the Ombudsman's' office to complete its work. Is that agreed? Agreed.

No. 1009C is a letter from Mr. Robert Watt, Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, regarding the committee's correspondence on the timely presentation by public bodies of their annual financial statements. I welcome Mr. Watt's support and commitment for the work the committee is doing. We will note and publish this. I wish to draw the attention of the public to the fact that the committee wrote to all identified public bodies. Approximately 200 letters went out to organisations audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General during the Christmas period to remind them of their obligations and our expectation that they meet the required deadlines for the presentation of their financial statements for audit. We expect to see a major improvement in respect of that matter in the coming year. We will revisit this in April to see how these bodies are getting on. In fairness, based on the reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is on a parallel track and issued a circular 25/17 stating that the requirement relating to the appropriation accounts for 2017 states that all Government Departments shall be required to include an annexe to the accounts in which will be provided a report on the presentation to the Oireachtas of the financial statements of bodies and funds under their aegis. That is a welcome step. It will probably take a year or two to get it up to date. It is a very positive step and it puts the focus on parent Departments to ensure that the bodies for which they are responsible complete their financial accounts.

Interestingly, we have received a number of letters in response and the next step is when those involved tell us that they have their accounts ready for audit and how long it takes to get the audits done. Some of the letters have indicated that when the audits are complete, they might have to revert to their own governing bodies or boards of directors in the following month to have them signed off. They will then go to the Departments, which will prepare minutes for the Cabinet to approve the findings before they can be published. That can take two or three months. Yes, we want to get the first step right and ensure that the bodies produce their accounts for audit early. There are other delays in the system that could be shortened. We will look at that as the year goes on.