Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 May 2004
230 Mr. J. Bruton asked the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs if he appointed an audit committee for his Department; its members, charter, number of meetings to date; if it has issued reports to him or to his secretary general. [15062/04]
View answerOn the establishment of the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs in June 2002, the audit committee previously in place in the former Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands remained. It continued to advise and make recommendations in the new Department on financial matters, the control of the environment and governance procedures. Its term of office ended in March.
In March the audit committee was reconstituted and a new external chairperson was appointed. A key recommendation of the Mullarkey report is that Departments must have a formally constituted audit committee, preferably chaired by a person from outside of the Department. The committee has three external representatives, including the chairperson and one internal representative on it.
The members of the current committee are: Mr. Cyril Sullivan, lecturer in the IPA; Mr. Niall Kelly, head of internal audit at the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources; and Mr. Michael Conroy, principal officer, finance unit of this Department. The chairperson is Mr. Liam Ryan, managing director of Ryan Glennon Chartered Accountants.
The committee operates in accordance with the terms of the audit committee charter. It provides independent and objective advice and acts as a support and resource to the Department. It makes recommendations with a view to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the internal financial controls, systems, procedures and methods in my Department.
The audit charter requires the an audit committee to meet not less than four times a year. It has met 12 times since its establishment in April 2001. The committee has access to my Secretary General and senior officials. It provides him and the MAC with an annual report on its activities.
