Mr. Seamus McCarthy:

The accounts that have been presented are from the Property Services Regulatory Authority for 2020. That is a clear audit opinion. The next accounts are from Bord Iascaigh Mhara and are also from 2020. Again, there is a clear audit opinion. The Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority got a clear audit opinion for 2020 but I draw attention to a number of items. First, an organisational capability review report issued in April 2020, which was commissioned by the authority.

The review found a number of recommendations relating to inadequacies in data management, data analytics capability, IT capability and industrial relations capability. If members would like to read more about that, we have put a link into the document that is before the committee in pdf format, in order that they can go straight to that in the financial statements if they wish.

The second item relates to the results of a European Commission audit that identified significant shortcomings in the weighing and reporting of pelagic fish landings and the lack of controls and enforcement over catches of bluefin tuna. This issue has been going on for a number of years. Further work is required to address the weaknesses that they found.

Finally, note 8 to the financial statement discloses that salary overpayments of €861,000 have been written off. Members can also read more about that by using the link.

The final set of financial statements presented is for Teagasc 2020. That received a clear audit opinion.