Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 193: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the reporting mechanisms in place for the prudent management of funds provided by his Department to community programmes; the audits he requests to affirm the prudent management of such funds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44116/08]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, my Department operates a number of programmes to provide funding and other supports to community and voluntary organisation. Details of all programmes and grant scheme are available on my Department's website at www.pobail.ie.

In line with the requirement of Public Financial Procedures issued by the Department of Finance, good financial management practice, and to ensure consistency across programmes and schemes, a number of arrangements are in place governing the issue, control, monitoring, verification and auditing of grants from my Department. These arrangements are designed to ensure that public funds are managed in a prudent and appropriate manner.

Beneficiaries of my Department's programmes and schemes are subject to audit and inspection on a periodic basis and must offer assurances to my Department that funds are applied for the purposes granted, are accounted for on a proper basis and that evidence is available to verify that adequate systems of oversight are in place for the management and application of grants. Where shortcomings in these arrangements are identified, beneficiary groups may have their funding reduced, withdrawn, or reclaimed. Similar arrangements apply where an intermediary organisation is engaged by my Department to deliver funding on its behalf. If the Deputy has any particular community programme or project in mind, I will be glad to provide more specific information if the relevant details are provided.