Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 7 Nov 1995

Vol. 457 No. 7

Written Answers. - Department of Defence Bank Accounts.

Michael Bell

Question:

312 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Defence the number of bank accounts used by the Defence Forces; the banks involved and the units and sub-units involved; whether all bank accounts which have State funds therein are made available for audit; the number of accounts which were audited by civilian members of staff in 1994 or by the Comptroller and Auditor General; the number of accounts which have not been audited since 1 January 1990; the precise instructions regarding cheque signatories issued to the Defence Forces, both permanent and reserve, and the date of their last revision; whether unit headquarters of FCA units have bank accounts; the names of the banks which have such accounts; when the last civilian audit took place; the number of FCA sub-units in respect of whose grant-in-aid bank accounts the cheques signatories are currently members of the PDF; the number of bank accounts in the Reserve in which the cheque signatories are NCOs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16254/95]

Minister for Defence (Mr. Barrett):

Twenty-nine public bank accounts held by the Department of Defence are operated by officers of the Permanent Defence Force duly authorised by or on behalf of the Department's accounting officer. These accounts are required in various specialist and technical units to facilitate the local purchase of stores and the remuneration of military personnel serving overseas. Twenty-two of the accounts are held with the associated banks, four with the non-associated banks and three with overseas banks and all accounts are available for audit. The operation of the accounts is kept under ongoing scrutiny by Departmental officials and nine have been the subject of specific audit by the Department's Audit Unit since 1990, including four in 1994.

One hundred and twenty-nine bank accounts are maintained by units and sub-units of the Reserve Defence Force to facilitate the administration of unit funds which are composed principally of an annual grant from public funds to meet ongoing expenditure in accordance with Defence Force Regulations. Headquarters companies of the FCA do not hold separate bank accounts for this purpose. All but one of the accounts are held with the associated banks. Currently, each account is operated jointly by two commissioned officers of the Defence Forces who act as cheque signatories. Under Defence Force Regulations, unit funds are subject to supervision and audit by officers of the Permanent Defence Force.