Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 24 May 2018

Public Accounts Committee

Financial Statements 2016: Higher Education Authority, University College Cork and Cork Institute of Technology

9:00 am

Photo of Seán FlemingSeán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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I am not taking from it or Mr. O'Connor's ability. I am just saying the committee is being presented with accounts from an organisation which have been signed by people who do not have the skill set that allows them to do so. The committee will have to examine further the issue of the skills matrix on boards. I am not referring to the skills available to the finance committees or other sub-committees of boards but boards as a whole. We accept that we are talking about an educational establishment, but if €100 million or more is going through it, it is disappointing for us to see that there is not a level of financial competence built into the board structure. The institute is getting there, but I am sure Mr. O'Connor understands our concerns about what we are hearing.