Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In our morning session we will be dealing with the 2016 and 2017 appropriation accounts for the Vote of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform; superannuation and retired allowances; and the Office of Government Procurement. We will also be dealing with the Comptroller and Auditor General's 2017 report, specifically chapter 2, collection of pension contributions due to the Exchequer; chapter 3, control of funding for voted public services; and chapter 5, vote accounting and budget management. We will also be dealing with the Comptroller and Auditor General's 2016 report, specifically chapter 6, on budget management, and his special reports 95, 99 and 100 on financial reporting in the public service for the years 2014 to 2016. We have been dealing with these reports on an ongoing basis and there is nothing particularly new in them but we have not formally discussed them with the Department. On that point, the Committee of Public Accounts, as a result of those earlier reports, decided towards the end of last year to write individually to each of the 300 or so organisations that are audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General to ask them to meet their timelines. We have brought representatives of the education sector before the committee at length. Of the 17 ETBs, only one was meeting reasonable timelines for producing financial statements, whereas on this occasion every single one of the 17 has done so, so there has been a significant improvement in the preparation of accounts by public bodies over the past year or two with the help of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, the Comptroller and Auditor General and ourselves. Perhaps we will ask Mr. Watt to give a short overview at the end of his comments on the issue that while it is fine getting the accounts to the Comptroller and Auditor General and getting them audited, there is then regularly what would appear to be another delay before they are laid before the Oireachtas. I think they have to go to Ministers and so on. The next thing we will want is a mechanism to see whether that end of the process can be speeded up. It is the next chapter, but Mr. Watt understands the question I am raising.

As today's schedule is very busy, dealing with all these accounts, and there is so much to be covered, the opening statement will understandably be that little bit longer than normal. We are joined by Mr. Robert Watt, Secretary General and Accounting Officer of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Mr. David Feeney, chief operations officer, Mr. John Pender of the pubic service pay and pensions division and Ms Helen Codd of the corporate support unit.

I remind members, witnesses and all those in the Public Gallery to turn all mobile phones to airplane mode as merely putting them on silent is not adequate and can interfere with the recording system. I advise witnesses that by virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, they are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. However, if they are directed by the committee to cease giving evidence on a particular matter and they continue to do so, they are entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of their evidence. They are directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and they are asked to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not criticise or make charges against any person or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. Members of the committee are reminded of Standing Order 186, which provides that the committee shall refrain from inquiring into the merits of a policy or policies of a Government or a Minister of the Government or the merits of the objectives of such policies. We expect witnesses to answer questions put by the committee clearly and with candour. Witnesses can and should expect to be treated fairly and with respect and consideration at all times, in accordance with the witness protocol.

We will now take the opening statement from the Comptroller and Auditor General.