Vol. 486 No. 1
124 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Finance if he will outline the role and function of the Secret Service; the purposes to which it intends to spend its 1998 budget allocation; and the reporting mechanisms it adopts in reporting to the Government. [1928/98]
The purpose of the Secret Service is to obtain information which is necessary for the security of the country. Given the sensitivities associated with a Vote of this nature, it is not possible to provide detailed information as to how the 1998 allocation will be spent.
As regards reporting mechanisms, the Appropriation Account of the Vote for the Secret Service is audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General in accordance with section 3 of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Amendment) Act, 1993. The C & AG is furnished with certificates from the responsible Ministers which support the expenditure shown in the account. On the basis of these certificates, the C & AG expresses an opinion in the annual published Appropriation Accounts that the account properly presents the expenditure of the Vote for the particular year concerned. This arrangement has been accepted by the Committee of Public Accounts of the Dáil.
