Vol. 398 No. 1
157 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for the Environment if he will issue guidelines to county councils concerning the making available to the public of financial information concerning their operation; and if the accounts of county councils are public documents to which the public should have access.
Local authorities are required under the Public Bodies Order, 1946, as amended, to give public notice in local newspapers that the annual estimate of expenses has been prepared and that it may be inspected free of charge at the times indicated by any member of the public. A copy of the estimates can also be purchased on application to the manager of the local authority. In the case of the abstracts of accounts of a local authority the abstract may be inspected in the offices of the authority and copied during office hours by all persons interested. In addition, the local authority is obliged to give public notice that an audit of the accounts will be opened at a time and place by a local government auditor, when objections to any matter contained in the accounts will be heard.
