Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 22 September 2022

Public Accounts Committee

2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Horse Racing Ireland: Financial Statements 2020

9:30 am

Mr. Martin Blake:

We came across this most visibly in the context of the Comptroller and Auditor General's report. That was the first time it became visible to us that this swap had actually taken place with a loss of money. Our view was that as a disposal and acquisition, it should have been notified in the Department. Having talked through the matter with HRI, it now acknowledges that this should have happened. We have recently engaged with it and written to it on that basis. Moving forward, we would expect that. As Ms Eade said, swaps were not specifically covered but it is an acquisition and disposal.