Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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602. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the allegations that Meath County Council paid moneys to a company (details supplied) for work carried out by another company from the 2008 and 2009 period that subsequently led to a Garda investigation and resulted in a conviction in relation to fraud; if his Department has carried out an examination of the circumstances which led to this instance; if he is satisfied that Meath County Council and all other local authorities have updated procedures to ensure that a similar case does not reoccur; if he is satisfied that Meath County Council has ensured that the moneys due have now been recouped from the company and that the company which carried out the works has been paid for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10860/19]

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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Local authorities are independent statutory bodies with responsibility for their day-to-day operations in accordance with the governing legislation and codes. Local authorities must adhere to the rules for financial procedures and procurement in the same way as all public bodies. 

In relation to the matter raised, I understand that a review of the payments involved was undertaken in 2018 as part of the 2017 audit by the Local Government Audit Service and the auditor was satisfied that the case did not indicate any additional reasonable measures that the Council could have had in place given that the issues which arose were outside the Council's control or knowledge. The matters involved have  been the subject of an investigation by An Garda Siochana and have come before the Courts. These are the appropriate avenues for issues of the kind involved to be pursued and it would not be appropriate for me to comment further on the matter.