PAC to hear from four State bodies on lack of submission of draft financial statements for 2017

Appearing before the Committee are:

The Department of Education and Skills regarding the National Training Fund;
The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government regarding the Local Government Fund;
The Abbey Theatre;  
The ESRI.

Chairman of the Committee Sean Fleming TD said: “The submission of annual financial statements is an essential element of good corporate governance which starts from the top down in any organisation. When an organisation does not submit its accounts in a timely manner, this raises a number of questions about that organisation.

On Wednesday the Committee will meet with four State bodies on the lack of or late submission of draft financial statements for the period of account ending in 2017. We hear directly from the following: The National Training Fund in the Department of Education and Skills, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government regarding the Local Government Fund, the Abbey Theatre and the ESRI.

We are meeting with four organisations to ask them to explain why they had not completed last year's financial statements in a timely manner. Based on the most recent information provided by the Comptroller and Auditor General there are 37 public bodies in total which have not presented their accounts. I have written to each of the other 33 for a written explanation as to why they have not done so. On Wednesday, the Committee feels that it is important that these four major organisations explain in public the current position regarding their 2017 financial statements.”

The meeting on Wednesday will start at 5pm in Committee Room 3, Leinster House and proceedings will be viewed here.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the move, through the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.