Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 12 Mar 1996

Vol. 462 No. 8

Written Answers. - Westmeath Vocational Education Committee.

Paul McGrath

Question:

167 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Education the projects undertaken by Westmeath Vocational Education Committee in the past eight years which did not have the required approval of her Department; and the expenditure in each case. [5522/96]

Paul McGrath

Question:

168 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Education the current status of the investigation into the financial affairs of Westmeath Vocational Education Committee; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5523/96]

Paul McGrath

Question:

169 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Education the amount of moneys paid to Westmeath Vocational Education Committee for debt reduction in each of the past ten years; and the similar payments, if any, that were made to other vocational education committees for the same period. [5524/96]

Paul McGrath

Question:

170 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Education the financial position of Westmeath Vocational Education Committee on 1 January for each of the years 1987 to 1996. [5525/96]

Minister for Education (Ms Bhreathnach)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 167, 168, 169 and 170 together.

A vocational education committee exercises its functions in a number of ways. There are functions which it may perform at its own discretion through the powers given to it under the 1930 Act. There are functions which it may perform within parameters laid down by the Minister. Examples of such paramaters are the requirement to remain within annual approved budget, and to adhere to approved rates of pay, staff allocations, rates and conditions for travel and subsistence etc. There are functions which a vocational education committee may perform only with the express approval of the Minister. Raising of loans and purchase of property are examples of such functions.

The auditing of vocational education committee's to ensure compliance with statutory and financial control procedures was the responsibility of the Local Government Auditor up to 31 December 1993. From 1 January 1994 this responsibility has been transferred to the Comptroller and Auditor General.

Among the projects in which County Westmeath vocational education committee was involved without specific approval of the Department were:

(a)The purchase of premises at Montbard, France. The expenditure incurred by the vocational education committee on this project was £65,602.

(b)The purchase of a property at Delvin for use as a Youthreach centre gave rise to expenditure of £30,000.

(c)The purchase of a property in Ballynacargy for Youthreach purposes gave rise to expenditure of £9,000.

(d)The hosting in Beaune, France of a conference related to the schools/industry links scheme. This conference was organised on a self-financing basis. However, the net deficit on the conference was £15,000.

(e)The provision of a computer course in conjunction with the National Rehabilitation Board over a three-year period. The course qualified for EU funding of 55 per cent. However, assuming a successful application for the maximum EU aid, balance of £99,378 was chargeable to the committee's account, which amount could not be met from within the approved allocation.

(f)the operation of an arts resource centre which was not specifically approved by my Department and which was not funded within the annual approved non-pay budget.

(g)The operation of an information technology centre without specific departmental approval, the cost of which could not be met from within the annual approved non-pay budget.

(h)The continued incurring of expenditure on a school/industry links pilot project in 1994 despite the fact that the Petra Transnational Partnership Scheme under which the project was being funded ended in 1993.

Final details of expenditure on the programmes referred to at (f), (g) and (h) are being sought from the acting chief executive officer of County Westmeath vocational education committee and will be made available to the Deputy shortly.

Following the retirement of the former acting chief executive officer a new acting chief executive officer was appointed in June 1995. Revised control systems and procedures are in place in the vocational education committee and I am satisfied that County Westmeath vocational education committee is operating efficiently and within authorised limits.

The issues raised in the report of the inspector who was appointed to examine the management and operation of its financial scheme by County Westmeath vocational education committee have been addressed or are being addressed by the acting chief executive officer in co-operation with the Department.

The Comptroller and Auditor General has sought the observations of my Department in relation to a number of issues which he raised with the vocational education committee as a result of the audit of the 1994 accounts. My Department is finalising its observations for the Comptroller and Auditor General.

The information requested by the Deputy in relation to moneys allocated to County Westmeath and other vocational education committees is outlined on the following table for the years 1987-95. Records prior to 1987 are not readily available in my Department.

The financial position in County Westmeath vocational education committee for the years ended 31 December 1987 to 31 December 1994, as reported in the annual financial statements (V15s) of the vocational education committee, is also outlined.

The financial position of the vocational education committee at 1 January would be similar to the position at 31 December of the previous year. The auditor expressed reservations in relation to some of the assets and also the comprehensiveness of the liabilities shown in the financial statements for each of the years 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1993. The audited financial statement for the year ended 31 December, 1994 has not yet been received in my Depart ment. The position at 31 December 1995 is not yet available to my Department as the financial statement for that year has not yet been received.

Special Allocations to VECs for Deficit Reduction

VEC	Year	Amount Allocated
		£
City of Dublin	1987	160,000
	1988	100,000
	1994	50,000
County Donegal	1987	80,000
	1988	200,000
	1989	74,000
	1993	10,000
	1994	150,000
	1995	20,000
County Galway	1989	130,000
	1992	10,000
	1993	40,000
	1994	150,000
		*155,000
	1995	25,000
County Kerry	1994	50,000
		20,478
County Kildare	1994	*94,217
	1995	70,000
County Kilkenny	1987	80,000
	1988	180,000
	1992	10,000
	1993	40,000
	1994	*74,774
	1995	30,000
County Mayo	1987	90,000
	1995	10,000
County Offaly	1988	20,000
	1993	40,000
	1995	70,000
County Sligo	1993	20,000
	1994	75,000
County Tipperary NR	1994	30,000
	1995	10,000
County Tipperary SR	1994	44,000
	1995	10,000
County Waterford	1995	10,000
County Westmeath	1989	180,000
	1992	40,000
	1993	200,000
	1994	425,000
	1995	500,000
County Wexford	1987	66,000
	1988	42,000
	1995	30,000

*Capital funds.

County Westmeath VEC

Financial Position

Year ended	31-12-87	£19,996 deficit (audited)
	31-12-88	£211,135 deficit (audited)
	31-12-89	£2,246 credit (audited)
	31-12-90	£345,772 deficit (audited) (1)
	31-12-91	£414,083 deficit (audited) (1)
	31-12-92	£553,504 deficit (audited) (1)
	31-12-93	£698,113 deficit (audited) (1)
	31-12-94	£578,161 deficit (unaudited)

(1)The auditor expressed reservations in relation to some of the assets and also the comprehensiveness of the liabilities shown in the financial statements for each of these years.