Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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196. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will review correspondence from a company (details supplied) regarding delayed payments from the Ukrainian accommodation section of his Department; the reasons for these delays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23357/23]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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My Department is prioritising maintaining a practice of more timely payments, including providing more resources to address any issues, and outsourcing of elements of the process to speed up processing and to respond to supplier calls. Any delays in making payments are deeply regretted and my Department is according this issue very high priority.

With regard to the service provider referred to, I am advised by my officials that invoices referred to in the details supplied in relation to April 2023 and May 2023 are currently being processed. Payment is expected to issue after all appropriate checks have been completed.  With regard to the delay in providing a Departmental purchase order for the other invoice referred to, my officials will be engaging with the provider in the coming days to supply same.  Likewise I am informed by my officials that there has been and will continue to be engagement with the provider in relation to the offer to provide additional accommodation.

My Department will continue to press on to eliminate the payments backlog while ensuring appropriate governance is in place to safeguard the proper spending of Exchequer funding.