Committee Reports::Report No. 20 - Ninth Interim Report for 2003, Deps. CMNR and OPW::28 February, 2007::Orders of Reference


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Committee Reports > List of Committees > Dáil > 2007 > Committee of Public Accounts > Report No. 20 - Ninth Interim Report for 2003, Deps. CMNR and OPW

Dáil Éireann

An Coiste um Chuntais Phoiblí

An Naoú Tuarascáil Eatramhach maidir le Tuarascáil 2003 ón Ard-Reachtaire Cuntas agus Ciste

(Éisteachtaí an Choiste, Deireadh Fómhair 2004 go Iúil 2005)

An Roinn Cumarsáide, Mara agus Acmhainní Nádúrtha; agus Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí.

Feabhra, 2007

Dáil Éireann

Committee of Public Accounts

Ninth Interim Report on the 2003 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General

(Committee Hearings October 2004 to July 2005)

Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources; and Office of Public Works.

February, 2007

Chairman’s Preface		i
Members of the Committee of Public Accounts		iii
Orders of Reference of the Committee of Public Accounts		v
1.	Marine Tourism Grant Aided Projects	3
2.	Office of Public Works – Kilkenny Flood Relief	9

Chairman’s Preface

This interim report of the Committee of Public Accounts continues the process of the Committee, which commenced in 2005, of reporting periodically on a thematic basis. The subject matter of this report details the Committee’s meetings in relation to the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources and in relation to the Office of Public Works. These meetings took place as part of the Committee’s consideration of the 2003 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General.

This report specifically examines the way in which plans were put in place to build marinas at four locations, the State funding that was put towards the marinas and the outcome in each case. The report also includes the Committee’s consideration of the Comptroller and Auditor General’s report on the flood relief works carried out in Kilkenny. Whilst the Committee acknowledge that the works were completed the background into the way in which the cost of the works continued to increase is examined in detail.

The Committee has already, in 2006, published a number of interim reports on the 2003 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General, on such matters as the Office of the Revenue Commissioners and the NTMA; Department of Health and Children and Department of Social and Family Affairs; Department of Agriculture and Food and Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs; Civil Service Commission, Office of the Ombudsman, Department of Finance and Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government; the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Department of Foreign Affairs and Department of Defence; and the Department of Education and Science. This is the final interim report of the Committee in respect of 2003.

As Chairman, I want to thank the relevant State agencies for their co-operation in making the compilation of these reports possible. I also want to compliment the members of the Committee for their diligent work throughout the year.

We recommend this report to Dáil Éireann.

Michael Noonan, T.D.,

Chairman.

28^th February, 2007

Members of the Committee of Public Accounts

FIANNA FÁIL

Seán Ardagh T.D.	Dublin South-Central
John Curran T.D.	Dublin Mid-West
John Dennehy T.D.	Cork South-Central
Seán Fleming T.D.	Laois-Offaly
John McGuinness T.D. (Vice-Chairman)	Carlow-Kilkenny
Michael Smith T.D.¹	Tipperary North

FINE GAEL

John Deasy T.D.²	Waterford
Tom Hayes T.D.³	Tipperary South
Michael Noonan T.D.⁴ (Chairman)	Limerick East

LABOUR

Joan Burton T.D.⁵

Dublin West

GREEN PARTY

Dan Boyle T.D.

Cork South-Central

SOCIALIST PARTY

Joe Higgins T.D.

Dublin West

Orders of Reference of the Committee of Public Accounts

156. (1)There shall stand established, following the reassembly of the Dáil subsequent to a General Election, a Standing Committee, to be known as the Committee of Public Accounts, to examine and report to the Dáil upon—

(a)the accounts showing the appropriation of the sums granted by the Dáil to meet the public expenditure and such other accounts as they see fit (not being accounts of persons included in the Second Schedule of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Amendment) Act, 1993) which are audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General and presented to the Dáil, together with any reports by the Comptroller and Auditor General thereon:

Provided that in relation to accounts other than Appropriation Accounts, only accounts for a financial year beginning not earlier than 1 January, 1994, shall be examined by the Committee;

(b)the Comptroller and Auditor General’s reports on his or her examinations of economy, efficiency, effectiveness evaluation systems, procedures and practices; and

(c)other reports carried out by the Comptroller and Auditor General under the Act.

(2)The Committee may suggest alterations and improvements in the form of the Estimates submitted to the Dáil.

(3)The Committee may proceed with its examination of an account or a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General at any time after that account or report is presented to Dáil Éireann.

(4)The Committee shall have the following powers:

(a)power to send for persons, papers and records as defined in Standing Order 83;

(b)power to take oral and written evidence as defined in Standing Order 81(1);

(c)power to appoint sub-Committees as defined in Standing Order 81(3);

(d)power to engage consultants as defined in Standing Order 81(8); and

(e)power to travel as defined in Standing Order 81(9).

(5)Every report which the Committee proposes to make shall, on adoption by the Committee, be laid before the Dáil forthwith whereupon the Committee shall be empowered to print and publish such report together with such related documents as it thinks fit.

(6)The Committee shall present an annual progress report to Dáil Éireann on its activities and plans.

(7)The Committee shall refrain from—

(a)enquiring into in public session, or publishing, confidential information regarding the activities and plans of a Government Department or office, or of a body which is subject to audit, examination or inspection by the Comptroller and Auditor General, if so requested either by a member of the Government, or the body concerned; and

(b)enquiring into the merits of a policy or policies of the Government or a member of the Government or the merits of the objectives of such policies.

(8)The Committee may, without prejudice to the independence of the Comptroller and Auditor General in determining the work to be carried out by his or her Office or the manner in which it is carried out, in private communication, make such suggestions to the Comptroller and Auditor General regarding that work as it sees fit.

(9)The Committee shall consist of twelve members, none of whom shall be a member of the Government or a Minister of State, and four of whom shall constitute a quorum. The Committee and any sub-Committee which it may appoint shall be constituted so as to be impartially representative of the Dáil.

¹ Deputy Michael Smith replaced Deputy Batt O’Keeffe by order of the House on 16^th November, 2004.

2 Deputy John Deasy replaced Deputy Paul Connaughton by order of the House on 20^th October, 2004.

3 Deputy Tom Hayes replaced Deputy John Perry by order of the House on 20^th October, 2004

4 Deputy Michael Noonan replaced Deputy Padraic McCormack by order of the House on 18^th June, 2003 and was elected as new Chairman on 21^st October 2004

5 Deputy Joan Burton replaced Deputy Pat Rabbitte by order of the house on 29^th November, 2005