Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I accept the intent of what Deputy Cullinane is proposing. We had a bit of a discussion on it on Committee Stage. One of the core functions of the Committee of Public Accounts, as set out under Standing Order 186, is to scrutinise the spending of taxpayers' money through examination and reporting to the Dáil on appropriation accounts. The duties of an Accounting Officer are set out in section 19 of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Amendment) Act 1993 and include giving evidence to the Committee of Public Accounts on the regularity of all transactions recorded in the appropriation accounts. This includes, among other things, those matters concerning consultancy and advisory spend which the Deputy has included. Again, I do not disagree with the sentiment he has expressed. Section 16(1) of the National Shared Services Office Bill states that the chief executive shall be the Accounting Officer for the purposes of the Comptroller and Auditor General Acts 1866 to 1998 with regard to the appropriation accounts of that office. In that way, section 19 of the Comptroller and Auditor General Act 1993 will apply. Therefore, based on the existing construct of the legislation and the construct of the Comptroller and Auditor General Acts, I do not propose to accept this amendment.

I accept the sentiment of what the Deputy is saying but, having regard to the Comptroller and Auditor General Acts, it has already been built in to the legislation. I was a former member of the Committee of Public Accounts and I do not disregard anything that Deputy Cullinane has said. The intention is very clear. We accept the intention but, unfortunately, we cannot accept the amendment.

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