asked the Minister for the Environment if he will make a statement on the fact that there is a long delay in the publication of audited accounts for the various local authorities; the reason for this long delay; whether it will be feasible to use private firms to audit these accounts in an effort to speed up the process; and if he will furnish a list of the time delay in the auditing of accounts for each local authority.
Written Answers. - Local Authorities Audited Accounts.
In an interim report of May 1988 an inter departmental committee currently reviewing the Local Government Audit Service (LGAS) attributed the level of arrears in local audits to a combination of factors, the most significant of which was considered to be the staffing position in the LGAS. The committee made a number of recommendations aimed at eliminating audit arrears, but did not consider the employment of private sector firms to be an appropriate option in relation to this problem.
The committee's recommendations are being pursued and additional staff have recently been redeployed to the LGAS. The arrears position has improved markedly over the current year and I am satisfied that this trend will continue. The attached table outlines the audit position of each elective local authority at the end of 1987 and the position expected at 31 December 1988.
County Councils |
Position at 31.12.1987 Audited for year |
Position at 31.12.1988 Audited for year |
Carlow |
1983 |
1987 |
Cavan |
1984 |
1987 |
Clare |
1984 |
1987 |
Cork |
1984 |
1986 |
Donegal |
1984 |
1986 |
Dublin |
1983 |
1985 |
Galway |
1984 |
1987 |
Kerry |
1984 |
1987 |
Kildare |
1984 |
1987 |
Kilkenny |
1983 |
1986 |
Laois |
1983 |
1986 |
Leitrim |
1985 |
1987 |
Limerick |
1985 |
1985 |
Longford |
1984 |
1987 |
Louth |
1984 |
1987 |
Mayo |
1983 |
1987 |
Meath |
1982 |
1986 |
Monaghan |
1983 |
1987 |
Offaly |
1983 |
1986 |
Roscommon |
1983 |
1986 |
Sligo |
1984 |
1987 |
Tipperary (N.R.) |
1984 |
1987 |
Tipperary (S.R.) |
1984 |
1987 |
Waterford |
1984 |
1987 |
Westmeath |
1983 |
1986 |
Wexford |
1984 |
1986 |
Wicklow |
1984 |
1987 |
County Boroughs |
||
Cork |
1985 |
1987 |
Dublin |
1984 |
1987 |
Galway |
1985 |
1985 |
Limerick |
1983 |
1986 |
Waterford |
1983 |
1985 |
Boroughs |
||
Clonmel |
1985 |
1985 |
Drogheda |
1985 |
1987 |
Dun Laoghaire |
1982 |
1986 |
Kilkenny |
1985 |
1985 |
Sligo |
1985 |
1985 |
Wexford |
1985 |
1985 |
U.D.C.s |
||
Arklow |
1985 |
1987 |
Athlone |
1984 |
1986 |
Athy |
1985 |
1985 |
Ballina |
1984 |
1987 |
Ballinasloe |
1985 |
1985 |
Birr |
1983 |
1985 |
Bray |
1985 |
1987 |
Buncrana |
1986 |
1986 |
Bundoran |
1984 |
1986 |
Carlow |
1983 |
1986 |
Carrickmacross |
1983 |
1986 |
Carrick on Suir |
1984 |
1986 |
Cashel |
1985 |
1985 |
Castlebar |
1985 |
1987 |
Castleblaney |
1983 |
1986 |
Cavan |
1985 |
1985 |
Ceanannus Mor |
1985 |
1985 |
Clonakilty |
1984 |
1987 |
Clones |
1983 |
1986 |
Cobh |
1984 |
1986 |
Dundalk |
1983 |
1986 |
Dungarvan |
1984 |
1987 |
Ennis |
1985 |
1987 |
Enniscorthy |
1984 |
1987 |
Fermoy |
1985 |
1986 |
Killarney |
1984 |
1987 |
Kilrush |
1985 |
1985 |
Kinsale |
1985 |
1987 |
Letterkenny |
1984 |
1987 |
Listowel |
1984 |
1987 |
Longford |
1985 |
1985 |
Macroom |
1986 |
1986 |
Mallow |
1985 |
1987 |
Midleton |
1985 |
1987 |
Monaghan |
1982 |
1987 |
Naas |
1984 |
1987 |
Navan |
1985 |
1985 |
Nenagh |
1983 |
1987 |
New Ross |
1984 |
1986 |
Skibbereen |
1984 |
1987 |
Templemore |
1984 |
1987 |
Thurles |
1984 |
1987 |
Tipperary |
1985 |
1987 |
Tralee |
1985 |
1987 |
Trim |
1985 |
1985 |
Tullamore |
1986 |
1986 |
Westport |
1986 |
1986 |
Wicklow |
1985 |
1987 |
Youghal |
1985 |
1987 |
Town Commissioners |
||
Ardee |
1985 |
1987 |
Balbriggan |
1985 |
1987 |
Ballybay |
1986 |
1986 |
Ballyshannon |
1984 |
1986 |
Bandon |
1985 |
1987 |
Bantry |
1983 |
1987 |
Belturbet |
1984 |
1987 |
Boyle |
1980 |
1986 |
Callan |
1986 |
1986 |
Cootehill |
1984 |
1987 |
Droichead Nua |
1986 |
1986 |
Edenderry |
1984 |
1987 |
Fethard |
1981 |
1987 |
Gorey |
1985 |
1987 |
Granard |
1982 |
1987 |
Greystones |
1985 |
1987 |
Kilkee |
1985 |
1985 |
Lismore |
1986 |
1986 |
Loughrea |
1985 |
1985 |
Mountmellick |
1983 |
1986 |
Mhuine Bheag |
1982 |
1987 |
Mullingar |
1984 |
1987 |
Passage West |
1981 |
1987 |
Portlaoise |
1986 |
1987 |
Newcastle West |
1985 |
1985 |
Rathkeale |
1985 |
1985 |
Roscommon |
1984 |
1986 |
Shannon |
1985 |
1985 |
Tramore |
1986 |
1986 |
Tuam |
1982 |
1986 |