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. Seamus McCarthy:

If necessary, yes, but it will also be challenging and examining the bills. I think it has been discussed by the committee on a previous occasion with the State Claims Agency. It is undoubtedly a difficulty for Accounting Officers because of the independence of commissions and tribunals to provide that level of detail. We would certainly in the past have pressed for some estimate of what is the residual cost outstanding to try to include that. However, it is a very difficult matter. It may be that certain potential claimants have not even lodged a claim yet, so one cannot begin to estimate how much of that would survive through taxing and through challenge.