Mr. Seamus McCarthy:

As the Chair said, quite a few sets of accounts and statements were laid before the Houses during the recess period. No. 1 is St. Angela's College, Sligo, for 2021. It received a clear audit opinion, but I draw attention to the recognition of a deferred pension funding asset. The committee will hear me referring to this again today. It is standard for bodies with substantial non-State income, such as universities. No. 2 is the travellers' protection fund, travel agents and tour operators bond accounts for 2021, which received a clear audit opinion. No. 3 is the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF, for 2021. This received a qualified audit opinion. In my opinion, the accounts give a true and fair view except that they account for the costs of retirement benefit entitlements of staff only as they become payable. This is standard for many health bodies at the direction of the Minister for Health. No. 4 is the Commission for Aviation Regulation for 2021, which received a clear audit opinion. Nos. 5 and 6 are group accounts - Sport Ireland for 2021 received a clear audit opinion and Sport Ireland Facilities Designated Activity Company, DAC, for 2021 also received a clear audit opinion.

The next four relate to the Credit Union Restructuring Board. The first is for the year of account 2018, which received a clear audit opinion. I draw attention to inadequate accounting records, which is the reason four sets of accounts are being done together. After the Credit Union Restructuring Board ended its active period, the members of the board left and responsibility passed over to the Department of Finance, there was effectively a falling down in its accounting records, and it took a considerable time to get that sorted. The board's 2019 accounts got a clear audit opinion, but there were inadequate accounting records. The board's 2020 accounts got a clear audit opinion, but attention was drawn to the inadequate accounting records. The board's 2021 accounts received a clear audit opinion. By then, the Department had got on top of the difficulty with the accounting records.

No. 11 relates to the Beaumont Hospital Board for the period of account 2020. It received a clear audit opinion, but I drew attention to a number of issues. The first was a series of governance issues, including the unscheduled resignation of the chairperson and the appointment of an interim chair, the audit committee lacking members to represent a quorum for a period, and considerable delays in the preparation of the annual financial statements. As a result, these accounts were certified on 21 October 2022. There was also a failure by the board to review the effectiveness of controls in 2020, as required by the code of practice for the governance of State bodies. There were breaches in controls resulting in payroll overpayments totalling €294,000 between 2019 and 2021. There was also non-compliant procurement totalling €16.9 million in 2020.

This represented approximately 11% of non-pay expenditure. That was up from 8% of non-pay expenditure in 2019. I should say that the 2021 accounts for Beaumont Hospital were signed by me on 21 December 2022. We were able to get in quickly enough and complete the 2021 financial statements but they have not been presented. They will be presented in due course.

No. 12 is Microfinance Ireland for 2021. It received a clear audit opinion. However, I draw attention to non-compliance with European guarantee fund conditions which reduced the amount that Microfinance Ireland could potentially draw down under the funding guarantee by an estimated €968,000. There is a process ongoing whereby it may be able to rectify the paperwork. It may reduce the amount from the €968,000 but we will obviously have an update on that in regard to 2022.

No. 13 is the Educational Research Centre. It received a clear audit opinion but in this case I am drawing attention to the recognition of a deferred pension funding asset. Again it is standard for bodies with substantial non-State income.

No. 14 is the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland for 2021. It received a clear audit opinion. In this case, I draw attention to the fact that I signed off on the account on 30 June 2022. There was a delay in presentation. In line with the committee’s standard procedure, it may want to follow up with the authority to get an explanation on that.

No. 15 is the sundry moneys account for 2021. That received a clear audit opinion.

No. 16 is the Grangegorman Development Agency for 2021. That received a clear audit opinion.

No. 17 is the Oberstown Children Detention Campus for 2021. That received a clear audit opinion.

No. 18 is a special account, the hepatitis C insurance scheme for 2021. That received a clear audit opinion.

No. 19 is Dublin City University for 2020-21. That received a clear audit opinion. Again, I draw attention to the recognition of a deferred pension funding asset.

No. 20 is University College Dublin for the year of account 2020-21. That received a clear audit opinion. Again, I draw attention to the assumptions underpinning the recognition of a deferred pension funding asset. I am also drawing attention in UCD’s case to a significant level of procurement non-compliance. The figure was around €6.6 million which is quite sizeable.

No. 21 is the Institute of Public Administration for 2021. That received a clear audit opinion.

No. 22 is Children’s Health Ireland for 2021. That received a qualified audit opinion. As I mentioned previously in relation to a health body, the accounts give a true and fair view except that they account for the costs of retirement benefit entitlements of staff only as they become payable. I also draw attention to the disclosure of a significant level of non-compliant procurement, in this case approximately €2.2 million.