Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 6 December 2012

Public Accounts Committee

2011 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 6 - Financial Commitments under Public Private Partnerships
Chapter 16 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities

1:50 pm

Photo of Eoghan MurphyEoghan Murphy (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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I will move on from the point about responsibility as I want to get into the detail of the audit report. The second paragraph on page 17 states that the total paid to the client representative amounts to €28.4 million including public relations costs compared to the original contract for €8.3 million. The continued employment of the client representative should have been reviewed as far back as 2005 in accordance with procurement guidelines. The guidelines were breached and there is a significant budget overrun. Ms Tallon confirmed earlier that the Department paid some money directly for client representative costs so there is a direct interest there in terms of responsibility. I am wondering whether the Department at any stage asked about the increase in the money being spent or whether the procurement guidelines were being followed.