Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I agree that this money, which was intended to go to programmes in areas like HIV-AIDS, schools and medical facilities, clearly should not have been misappropriated. We will not tolerate any misappropriation of Irish Aid funds. That is why we have acted so quickly in this matter. I assure the Deputy who referred to the recommendations of the audit committee that my Department takes the issue of risk extremely seriously. A risk register is maintained by a risk group, which is chaired by an assistant secretary.

In addition, risk is reviewed at monthly meetings of the management committee. The Department also has professionally qualified staff employed in its finance sections. The Department's audit committee has, nevertheless, recommended that the Department appoint a dedicated chief risk officer and a professionally qualified chief financial officer. The audit committee recommends that these officers be appointed at assistant secretary grade.

The ability of my Department to respond to this proposal has been limited by the embargo on public service recruitment necessitated by the need to reduce Government expenditure. Last June, following the publication of the audit committee's most recent annual report, the Secretary General of my Department invited the audit committee to meet with the management committee to discuss these proposals. This meeting took place this week, following which the management committee, with my support and encouragement, accepted the recommendations of the audit committee. An appropriate member of the management committee will assume the additional responsibilities of chief risk officer and sanction is being sought from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for the recruitment of a professionally qualified chief financial officer who will sit on the management committee.

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