Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 18 November 2021

Public Accounts Committee

2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Chapter 6 - Covid-19 Restart Grant Schemes

9:30 am

Dr. Orlaigh Quinn:

Interestingly, Microfinance Ireland is coming more closely back into the Department, which is a change we are working on. We would certainly monitor closely. We have a senior official on the board of MFI, which gives us very good insight into the data and operation of the organisation. We also keep a very strong watching brief. MFI has to give us details of approvals of loans. Again, we always have a liaison team assigned to each of our agencies to monitor their performance, the drawdown, where the spend is and where money is not being spent. We also receive a quarterly performance report from each of them, which the management board examines and assesses if there are areas of concern. Does that the answer the Deputy's question sufficiently?