Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 7 February 2019

Public Accounts Committee

2017 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 1 - President's Establishment
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach

9:00 am

Mr. Martin Fraser:

There is also the Central Fund. I am keen to be helpful, Chairman, but I am not the Accounting Officer. It was mentioned that the President had published a document. I had no involvement in its preparation because, as I said, it is quite properly none of my business. He sets out in some detail in the report what he does and the fact that there are 20,000 visitors each year and 223 in-house events. I gather he will publish a report annually. I also understand he has set up an audit committee for the allowance and that he has refunded the surplus to the Exchequer. Again, these are not my responsibilities. I simply know this from my contacts with the other Accounting Officers.