Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 13 Feb 1990

Vol. 395 No. 6

Written Answers. - Department of Education Accounts.

John Bruton

Question:

204 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Education when the accounts of the receipts and expenditure of the capital and the revenues derived from all funds under her control were submitted to the Comptroller and Auditor General to be audited in respect of each of the last ten years; if this was done within three months after the expiration of each of these years as is required by the Intermediate Education Act, 1878; if the accounts, with the reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General thereon, have been laid before Dáil Éireann, not later than two months after having been tendered for audit in accordance with the same legislation; and, in the event of the time limits prescribed by law above have not been complied with in any case, if she will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Education (Mrs. O'Rourke)

Section 10 of the Intermediate Education (Ireland) Act, 1878, contained provisions in relation to accounts of the Intermediate Education Board of Ireland. By order dated 8 June 1923, the Intermediate Education Board was dissolved and a board of commissioners, called the Intermediate Education Commissioners, was established to exercise in Soarstát Éireann all the functions which were on 6 December 1921 exercisable in that area by the Intermediate Education Board. Two further orders dated 31 March 1925 dissolved the Intermediate Education Commissioners, transferred their jurisdictions, powers, duties and functions to the Minister for Education, vested certain assets of the commissioners in the Minister, provided that the statutory funds of the commissioners should be wound up and disposed of for the benefit of the Exchequer in such a manner as the Minister for Finance should appoint and that the expenses of the public services in connection with intermediate education should be paid as from and after 31 March 1925 out of moneys provided by the Oireachtas.

With the exception of endowments under the Educational Endowments (Ireland) Act, 1885, all moneys at the disposal of the Minister now and for the past ten years are accounted for in the Appropriation Accounts which are submitted to the Comptroller and Auditor General in the form and within the time required. Accounts of endowments controlled by the Minister under the Educational Endowments (Ireland) Act are audited by the Local Government Auditor in accordance with the 1885 Act.