asked the Minister for Education if she will make a statement in relation to the vocational education committee of Dún Laoghaire Corporation who sat up to the local elections in June 1985; the financial expenditure of that committee during their years of office; and if she will explain circular letter No. F81/85 issued by her Department and paragraph 2 thereof which relates to large amounts of public funds which have been discharged in illegal payments with the result that budgetary constraints have been flouted.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Dún Laoghaire (Dublin) VEC.
11.
Prior to the election of a new committee on 1 July 1985, the previous committee were in office since 18 June 1979. The financial expenditure of the vocational education committee, as disclosed by their annual financial accounts, was as follows for the years in question: 1979, £1.215 million; 1980, £1.506 million; 1981, £1.726 million; 1982, £2.142 million; 1983, £2.296 million; 1984, £2.303 million. Particulars of the 1985 expenditure will be available early in 1986.
Circular letter No. F81/85 of my Department referred to a number of instances where it had been established at audit that illegal payments had been made by VECs with the result that sanctioned budgets had been exceeded. The matter was referred to in the Appropriation Accounts Report for 1981 of the Comptroller and Auditor General. That report was placed before the Houses of the Oireachtas.
Following discussions with the Irish Vocational Education Association regarding circular letter No. F81/85, I established a consultative council under the provisions of section 104 of the Vocational Education Act, 1930 consisting of IVEA representatives, the inspector of audits, a local government auditor and officials of my Department to make a report and recommendations to me on the procedures for the allocation and control of the expenditure of vocational education committees. This council are to report to me by 9 December 1985.
Arising out of the circular the Minister sent to all VECs, including Dún Laoghaire, can she explain what she means by illegal payments? Could she give the House an example of what she means?
Illegal payments were payments that had not received sanction from the Department. In respect of the committee to which the Deputy's question referred, the auditor's report for the years 1980-83 is not with me at this time. It is in course of preparation. I do not consider that it would be helpful, pending receipt of that report from the auditor and the consultative council's report to me, to elaborate on the question.
I take the point the Minister has made and I accept that I have responsibility to the House also, but would the Minister mind if I raised the question again when we receive the auditor's report?
Certainly the Deputy may do so.
The Minister will be aware that this relates to the last VEC in Dún Laoghaire before the last local elections.
As I said, the previous committee were in office from 18 June 1979 and the last auditor's report we have is for 1974-79 inclusive, so it refers mostly to the previous committee.
The Minister will agree with me that very serious issues are involved in this whole matter. However, having accepted my responsibility I will not pursue the matter.
One supplementary——
I am sorry, Ceist 12.