Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 4 October 2012

Public Accounts Committee

Special Report No. 78 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Matters Arising out of Education Audits (Resumed)
Higher Education Authority - Annual Financial Statements 2011: Discussion

12:00 pm

Seán Ó Foghlú:

A couple of the Deputy's questions were addressed to me. On the issue of accountability, the formal accountability is a request for an annual letter where we seek assurance of compliance with the code of practice in respect of a range of matters. In addition, it is seen through the irregular interactions and meeting with the chair at least twice a year as part of that. I was trying to think it through and I definitely have met the chief executive and the chair at least three times since I have been in the job. I believe we will meet again next week. Moreover, I have been at other meetings with the chair and the chief executive when the Minister has been present. I am just talking about those meetings at which I have been. We have regular meetings and that is an important part of our interaction. To be fair to the chair of the HEA, he puts a lot of effort into the engagement. We are at a key time of change in the higher education sector and he is a lead figure in terms of putting in the work and the engagement and in leading the HEA in the important work regarding the landscape document and so on.