Mr. Seamus McCarthy:

The next group is what we have described as other State bodies. They are not sectors as such. No. 61 is the Horse Racing Ireland group accounts, which received a clear audit opinion. However, I draw attention to a further loss of €1.6 million in 2023, which relates to HRI's investment in an associate company, Curragh Racecourse Limited. The cumulative loss on the investment in Curragh Racecourse Limited to the end of 2023 was €10.6 million. Nos. 62 to 70, inclusive, are all subsidiaries of Horse Racing Ireland. I do not believe it is necessary to refer to those. They all received a clear audit opinion.

No. 71 is Pobal, which received a clear audit opinion. It had a turnover of €1.3 billion. Pobal is a payment agency that receives funds from various Votes and then administers the payments.

No. 72, the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces, received a clear audit opinion. No. 73 is the Housing Agency, which received a clear audit opinion. No. 74 is Microfinance Ireland, which received a clear audit opinion.

No. 75, Water Safety Ireland, received a clear audit opinion. However, the statement on internal control discloses the failure of the council to carry out a review of the effectiveness of the system of internal financial control in the manner required by the code of practice for the governance of State bodies. The code of practice is applicable to all State bodies. One of the key requirements is that the system of control is formally reviewed by the board of the entity, and that should be done during the period of account or very shortly thereafter. Normally, it should be done within, at most, three months after the end of the year. They did not do that, so that is why I am drawing attention to it.

No. 76 is the Credit Union Restructuring Board, which received a clear audit opinion. No. 77 is Coimisiún na Meán, which received a clear audit opinion. Published with that is the broadcasting fund, which is No. 78, which received a clear audit opinion. No. 79 is the National Library of Ireland, which received a clear audit opinion. No. 80, the Judicial Council, received a clear audit opinion. No. 81, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, received a clear audit opinion. No. 82, Oberstown Children Detention Campus, received a clear audit opinion.

No. 83, the Institute of Public Administration, received a clear audit opinion. However, in that case, I draw attention to an impairment charge of €2.1 million in relation to valuation of the institute’s properties. It has had to take an impairment charge in respect of one of the properties it acquired around 2005 or 2006, at the peak of the boom, because of a revaluation and the drop in value of office property in Dublin.

No. 84, the Insolvency Service of Ireland, received a clear audit opinion. No. 85, the Legal Services Regulatory Authority, received a clear audit opinion. No. 86, Science Foundation Ireland, received a clear audit opinion. No. 87, the Property Services Regulatory Authority, received a clear audit opinion. No. 88, the associated Property Service Compensation Fund, received a clear audit opinion. No. 89, the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, received a clear audit opinion. No. 90, the Parole Board, received a clear audit opinion.