Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 22 March 2018

Public Accounts Committee

Business of Committee

9:00 am

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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Mr. McCarthy made an important point in respect of the timeframe. If this was from 2012 to 2014 and if improvements have since been made and we have examined it, then we need to put that caveat out there in terms of this organisation. That is an important point. From recollection of our exchange with the director general, however, section 39 organisations might receive only 5% of their funding from the HSE, for example. The valid point was made that we do not want to create too much red tape for small organisations that might not have the expertise to deal with higher levels of oversight. However, a section 38 organisation is a horse of a different colour and there must be far higher levels of oversight of such organisations. I accept what Mr. McCarthy stated in terms of this issue relating to some time ago, but it is only now coming into the public domain. There is an internal audit report which we have a responsibility to examine. We should get that report and get an update from the director general as to what changes have since been made, which would provide a basis for us to then make a decision.