Mr. Seamus McCarthy:

As the Cathaoirleach has said, quite a lengthy list of financial statements and accounts has developed since the committee last noted any. One of the exercises carried out by the liaison officer over the summer, in consultation with my office, was to look back on the accounts that had been presented and any that may have been missed. There were two sets presented in December that were not picked up. A kind of filtration system is in place between the Library and so on to identify these. One of those that were presented in December but which we did not catch is the accounts for University College Dublin for 2019-2020, which were presented on 3 December 2021. These accounts received a clear audit opinion but I drew attention to the recognition of a deferred pension funding asset, which is standard for universities, and some procurement non-compliance in the college. The second set of accounts that was missed in that trawl was the accounts for the National Concert Hall for 2020. Those accounts were presented on 21 December 2021 and received a clear audit opinion.

I will now move on to accounts presented between the last meeting of the committee and earlier this week. With regard to departmental and other funds, the accounts for the carbon fund for 2021 were presented on 18 July and received a clear audit opinion. The finance accounts for 2021, which is one of the biggest accounts totalling €70.9 billion, were presented and received a clear audit opinion although I will draw attention to statement 1.5 in the accounts, which discloses exceptional payments made from the Central Fund to the EU arising from an audit of customs. Further information on that matter is given in statement 1.5. The credit union fund account for 2021 received a clear audit opinion. The local government fund account, which is again quite a large account with a turnover of €1.2 billion in 2021, also received a clear audit opinion.

I will now turn to the education sector. The accounts for the Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board for 2020 were presented on 3 August. They received a clear audit opinion but attention was drawn to non-compliance with procurement rules. The 2021 accounts for Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board were presented on 22 August and received a clear audit opinion. The accounts for Waterford Institute of Technology for 2019-2020 received a clear audit opinion. Attention is drawn to note 28 of the financial statements relating to a continuing going concern there.

It is something I have drawn attention to over a number of years. The situation seems to be improving but there is still an issue in relation to that.

For 2020 to 2021, Dundalk Institute of Technology received a clear audit opinion. On Athlone Institute of Technology, I refer to dissolution or cessation accounts for the body. They cover the period 1 September 2020 to 30 September 2021. That is a 13-month period. It received a clear audit opinion. Regarding Limerick Institute of Technology, the accounts are cessation accounts. The two of them have been merged into a technological university. The same accounting period applies: 1 September 2020 to 30 September 2021. It also received a clear audit opinion.

Next are the accounts for the Institute of Technology Carlow for the period 2020 to 2021. It received a clear audit opinion.

With regard to the National College of Art and Design in the period 2020 to 2021, attention is drawn to the recognition of a deferred pension funding asset. This is standard for universities and colleges. The college presents accounts on the same basis as universities.

The accounts for the University of Limerick received a clear audit opinion for the period 2020 to 2021. However, attention is drawn to recognition of a deferred pension funding asset, which, as I said, is standard for universities, and to an element of procurement non-compliance.

The accounts for Mary Immaculate College received a clear audit opinion for 2020 to 2021, again drawing attention to recognition of a deferred pension funding asset, as for universities. There was procurement non-compliance in that case as well.

With regard to the National University of Ireland, the accounts relate to the calendar year 2021. It received a clear audit opinion.

The Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board, Caranua, received a clear audit opinion for 2021. Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies received a clear audit opinion for 2021.

The Higher Education Authority received a clear audit opinion for 2021. There was quite a sizeable account there, with a throughput of €1.8 billion.

SOLAS also had a big account, amounting to €834 million in 2021. It received a clear audit opinion.

Next are the subsidiaries of the National Asset Management Agency. These are designated-activity companies. There are ten or 12 of them. I do not propose to read out all the names. With regard to one of them, I draw attention to a settlement with the Revenue Commissioners in respect of underpayment of professional services withholding tax in the period 2013 to 2016. The settlement included interest of €1 million and penalties of €0.1 million. I am drawing attention to that. Otherwise, all the subsidiaries received a clear audit opinion, and they were all presented on 13 July.

In the health area, St. James's Hospital, received a clear audit opinion for the accounting period 2021, but I draw attention to non-compliant procurement.

Dublin Dental University Hospital received a clear audit opinion for 2021. The Irish Blood Transfusion Service Board received a clear audit opinion, again for 2021.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland received a qualified audit opinion for 2021. In this case, the accounts give a true and fair view except that they account for the costs of retirement benefit entitlements of staff only as they become payable. However, that is standard accounting treatment for a number of health bodies at the direction of the Minister for Health, but it does not comply with a true and fair view and therefore I have to qualify in relation to it. Otherwise, the accounts give a true and fair view.

The Health Insurance Authority, for 2021, received a qualified opinion on a basis similar to the one I have described for the Food Safety Authority of Ireland.

The Risk Equalisation Fund, which is managed by the Health Insurance Authority, had quite a sizeable account for 2021, amounting to €803 million. That received a clear audit opinion.

The Hepatitis C and HIV Compensation Tribunal special account and the Hepatitis C and HIV Compensation Tribunal reparation fund account both received a clear audit opinion for 2021.

The Health Products Regulatory Authority received a qualified audit opinion for 2021. The same issue arises as the one I described for the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. The accounts give a true and fair view except that they account for the costs of retirement benefit entitlements as they become payable.

With regard to State bodies and their subsidiaries, Enterprise Ireland received a clear audit opinion for 2021. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities received a clear audit opinion for 2021. The Office of the Planning Regulator received a clear audit opinion for 2021. The Road Safety Authority received a clear audit opinion for 2021. The Marine Casualty Investigation Board received a clear audit opinion for 2021. The Health and Safety Authority received a clear audit opinion for 2021. The Personal Injuries Assessment Board received a clear audit opinion for 2021. Transport Infrastructure Ireland received a clear audit opinion for 2021. The State Examinations Commission received a clear audit opinion for 2021.

The Rásaíocht Con Éireann and Irish Retired Greyhound Trust accounts relate to the accounting period 2020. The accounts were certified on 12 May 2021 but were presented only on 4 August 2022.