Grace Boland (Dublin Fingal West, Fine Gael)
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418. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the internal oversight that exists within his Department to monitor the scope, duration and cost escalation of legal services once engaged; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41585/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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In accordance with Public Financial Procedures, Accounting Officers are required to sign a “Statement of Internal Financial Control” and to forward it to the Comptroller and Auditor General alongside the Appropriation Account.

Each Head of Function in my Department has the responsibility to ensure that the budget allocation to their Division is spent and recorded in accordance with the Public Finance Procedures (PFP) and Public Spending Code, which is supported by Department of Transport Procedures for Internal Financial Control. This includes, monitoring the scope, duration, and cost escalation of legal services.

Heads of Function are required to confirm annually that the Procedures for Internal Financial Control are being applied with Divisions required to maintain sufficient evidence of all transactions to ensure an adequate audit trail exists.