Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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103. To ask the Taoiseach if the Central Statistics Office examined the accounts of each of the commercial semi-State organisations and other semi-State bodies that are in receipt of significant public funding as to whether the majority of their funding comes from public sources; and whether their debts should be included on the State balance sheet. [49029/17]

Joe McHugh (Donegal, Fine Gael)
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Under Council Regulation (EC) No. 479/2009 (as amended by Council Regulation 679/2010 and Commission Regulation (EU) No 220/2014) the Central Statistics Office (CSO) is responsible for the official reporting of Ireland’s General Government Deficit/Balance (GGDeficit / GGB), Debt (GGDebt) and other Government Finance Statistics (GFS). In particular, this requires the CSO to define the scope of the Public Sector (which includes the General Government Sector) in Ireland. In fulfilment of this requirement the CSO maintains and publishes a Register of Public Sector Bodies in Ireland which is available at . This register includes a listing of bodies classified in the general government sector, whose revenue, expenditure and financial balance sheet is included in the Government Finance Statistics reported to Eurostat and published nationally. It also includes a listing of publicly controlled corporations not classified in the general government sector due to their market nature.

To compile this register the CSO use a number of sources including surveys of all central government departments, in co-operation with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, and all local authorities, in co-operation with the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. This is done in order to confirm or revise existing listings and to obtain further information as needed on all bodies under the aegis of these government units to ensure their correct classification according to the relevant European System of Accounts 2010 criteria. A preliminary analysis of the results of the central government survey conducted in 2017 is reflected in the latest version of the register. Work on the local government survey and consequent updates to the register are ongoing. The composition of the register is not static. Government controlled bodies are established, closed and merged over time. Also the market/non-market status of bodies must be continually reviewed. Consequently the Register of Public Sector Bodies is reviewed and updated periodically (at least annually).

Data on publicly controlled corporations (including commercial and other semi State bodies) not classified to the General Government sector are reported annually to Eurostat in a Questionnaire on government controlled units classified outside general government. This data includes a calculation of the quantitative market/non-market for the previous three years for those bodies whose total liabilities exceed 0.01% of GDP. The CSO also conduct periodic reviews of the classification of bodies controlled by government either at its own initiative or on request by Eurostat or other government departments or agencies. This work forms a central part of the preparation of Government Finance Statistics and is a core component of the work of the CSO Government Accounts division.