Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 17 October 2013

Public Accounts Committee

Forfás Annual Accounts 2012

10:55 am

Mr. Martin D. Shanahan:

I shall ask my financial controller to comment on the matter in a moment. I shall simplify my answer but we can also give a detailed answer. The €43 million figure is the amount that Forfás pays out in pensions. The €64 million figure that the Chairman alluded to relates to the amount that is accrued for pensions for the year 2012. Therefore, Forfás is required under FRS 17, the accounting convention, to account for pensions as they are accrued each year and that is the liability for 2013. The amount actually paid out was €43 million in 2012.