Local Authority National Partnership Advisory Group

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 18 September 2013

Wednesday, 18 September 2013

Questions (855, 856, 857, 858, 859, 860, 861, 862, 863, 864, 865, 866)

Clare Daly

Question:

855. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if all income and expenditure by the Local Authority National Partnership Advisory Group were shown in the annual accounts of the Local Government Management Agency; if the accounts were audited each year by the Local Government Audit Services; if the Local Government Audit Service discovered that an inappropriate payment of €200,000 was paid to the National Health and Local Authority Levy Fund account without any supporting documentation; if the Local Government Audit Service reported on the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36938/13]

Clare Daly

Question:

856. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the amount paid each year by the Local Authority National Partnership Advisory Group to the National Health and Local Authority Levy Fund account; the total amount paid by LANPAG to the National Health and Local Authority Levy Fund Account; if he will provide in tabular form a breakdown of the funds used for hotel accommodation, food, refreshments and hospitality; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36939/13]

Clare Daly

Question:

857. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide in tabular form the names of the nominated Local Authority National Partnership Advisory Group trustees who were responsible for generally developing the annual estimates and funding recommendations in respect of various projects in each year since 1999; if funding decisions were made by the LANPAG Board and the Local Government Management Agency on the basis of Trustee recommendations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36940/13]

Clare Daly

Question:

858. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the sanctions imposed on the persons in the Local Authority National Partnership Advisory Group LANPAG who sanctioned the inappropriate payment of €200,000 to the National Health and Local Authority Levy Fund account; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36941/13]

Clare Daly

Question:

859. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the sanctions that were imposed on the persons in the Local Government Management Agency who sanctioned the inappropriate LANPAG payment of €200,000 to the National Health Local Authority Fund account; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36942/13]

Clare Daly

Question:

860. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Local Authority National Partnership Advisory Group inappropriately provided funding of €200,000 to the National Health and Local Authority Levy Fund account without any supporting documentation being provided; if it has been brought to his attention that the Local Government Management Agency, the host agency for LANPAG sanctioned the inappropriate payment; the number of city and county managers who are members of the board of the Local Government Management Agency; the number of senior officials from his Department who are members of the Board of the Local Government Management Agency; if he will provide in tabular form the names of the then board members of the Local Government Management Agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36943/13]

Clare Daly

Question:

861. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Local Authority National Partnership Advisory Group undertook and funded international trips to the United States, Canada and Spain; if he will provide in tabular form the list of persons who participated in each trip; the dates of the trips; the organisation each participant represented; the pay and expenses each participant received from the Department of the Environment or from their respective local authority while on the trips; if he will provide a breakdown of the costs incurred by LANPAG for each international trip; if the said costs and payment were sanctioned by the Local Government Management Agency, the host agency for LANPAG; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36944/13]

Clare Daly

Question:

862. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the date on which a person (details supplied) was appointed to the Local Authority National Partnership Advisory group; the interest group-agency this person represented on LANPAG; the person who appointed this person to LANPAG; when this person's term on LANPAG finished; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36945/13]

Clare Daly

Question:

863. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the date on which a person (details supplied) was appointed to the Local Authority National Partnership Advisory Group; the interest group-agency this person represented on LANPAG; the person who appointed this person to LANPAG; when this person's term on LANPAG finished; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36946/13]

Clare Daly

Question:

864. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the date on which a person (details supplied) was appointed to the Local Authority National Partnership Advisory Group; the interest group-agency this person represented on LANPAG; the person who appointed this person to LANPAG; when this person's term on LANPAG finished; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36947/13]

Clare Daly

Question:

865. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the date on which a person (details supplied) was appointed to the Local Authority National Partnership Advisory Group; the interest group-agency this person represented on LANPAG; the person who appointed this person to LANPAG; when this person's term on LANPAG finished; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36948/13]

Clare Daly

Question:

866. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the fact that for the 14 year period 1999-2012 only three documents relating to the Local Authority National Partnership Advisory Group can be found on the website of the Local Government Management Agency, the host agency for LANPAG; in the interest of openness and transparency, if he will take steps to ensure that all documentation relating to the finances of LANPAG, the management of LANPAG and meetings of LANPAG are made available on the Local Government Management Agency website and in the Dáil Library; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36949/13]

Written answers

Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government

I propose to take Questions Nos. 855 to 866, inclusive, together.

Transactions relating to the Local Authority National Partnership Advisory Group (LANPAG) have been disclosed in the annual financial statements of the Local Government Management Services Board (now merged in the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA)). The external audit of this body was carried out by the Local Government Audit Service. The audits of the financial transactions reported in the annual financial statements are carried out on a test basis in accordance with professional audit practice, hence, all transactions are not individually examined. No issue was raised in respect of €200,000 expenditure in the audits.

The Special Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General, Report Number 80 - April 2013, entitled Administration of the National Health and local Authority Levy Fund found that “€200,000 (around 25% of the total amount paid by LANPAG) was supported only by two letters of application from the fund administrator and not by supplier invoices”.

The lack of third party invoices in relation to €200,000 had come to light during an examination of LANPAG records by my Department and the LGMA. LANPAG was funded mainly through allocations from the Local Government Fund. In March 2011, on foot of a request from my Department, LANPAG refunded €200,000 to the Local Government Fund. My Department directed LANPAG to seek reimbursement of this amount from SIPTU; however, it was subsequently agreed that any remaining balance in the National Health and Local Authority Levy Fund Account should be refunded directly to the Exchequer.

The total amount paid by LANPAG to the National Health and Local Authority Levy Fund Account was €789,919.16. The total invoiced for hotel accommodation, food, refreshments and hospitality (inclusive of meeting room, equipment hire and full meeting facilities) is €130,233.30.

Details of the Trustees of LANPAG are outlined in the following table. I understand that funding recommendations were made by the Trustees and notified to the full LANPAG membership.

LANPAG Trustees:

Christian Name	Surname	Position
		Management
Chris	Gavigan	Local Government Management Services Board (LGMSB), Joint Chairperson
Ned	Gleeson	Limerick County Manager
Donal	Connolly	Waterford County Manager
Terry	O'Niadh	North Tipperary County Manager
		Union
Matt	Merrigan	Services Industrial Professional Trade Union (SIPTU), Joint Chairperson
Al	Butler	Irish Municipal Public Civil Trade union (IMPACT)
Peter	Nolan	IMPACT
Finbarr	Maguire	Craft Group of Unions

The Board Members of the Local Government Management Services Board in 2007 and 2009, when the €200,000 was paid into the National Health and Local Authority Levy Fund and the current board membership of the Local Government Management Agency are outlined in the following tables.

LGMSB Board: 2007

Name:	Title:
Mr M Malone (Chair)	Kildare County Manager
Mr T Ó Niadh	North Tipperary County Manager
Mr J Allen	Departmental Representative:
Mr A Fleming	Clare County Manager
Mr J Gavin	Cork City Manager
Mr P Greene	Departmental Representative
Mr F Kelly	HR Manager, Dublin City Council
Mr A Kinch	Departmental Representative
Ms J Maguire	Leitrim County Manager
Mr D Mahon	Mayo County Manager
Mr D Nelson	Monaghan County Manager
Mr D O’Connor	Fingal County Manager
Mr E Sheehy	Wicklow County Manager

LGMSB Board 2009:

Name:	Title:
Mr E O’Connor (Chair)	South Tipperary County Manager
Mr E Sheehy	Wicklow County Manager
Mr E Breen	Wexford County Manager
Mr P Carey	Laois County Manager
Mr E Gleeson	Limerick County Manager
Mr T Mackey	Limerick City Manager
Mr M McLoone	Donegal County Manager
Mr T O’Niadh	North Tipperary County Manager
Mr J Tierney	Dublin City Manager
Mr J Allen	Departmental Representative
Mr P Lemass	Departmental Representative
Mr P McDonald	Departmental Representative

LGMA Board: 2013

Name:	Title:
Mr H Kearns (Chair)	Sligo County Manager
Mr M Malone	Kildare County Manager
Mr P Carey	Laois County Manager
Mr D McLoughlin	South Dublin County Manager
Mr M Riordan	Cork County Manager
Mr E Sheehy	Wicklow County Manager
Mr B Quinlan	Departmental Representative
Mr D Enright	Departmental Representative
Mr P McDonald	Departmental Representative

I understand that over the period 1999-2009 LANPAG undertook, and funded, three international study visits related to partnership in other jurisdictions (USA, Canada, Spain) at a cost of just over €91,000. The 9-10 participants in each case comprised principally local authority officials, union representatives and LGMA/LANPAG representatives. My Department was represented by an official on two of these study visits.

Information regarding the participants and costs incurred by LANPAG in relation to the study visits is outlined in the following table. I understand that Travel and Subsistence claims were paid by LANPAG.

New York: 7 – 15, September 2001

Participants	Organisation	Expenses	Amount
Finbarr Maguire	TEEU	Travel & Subsistence	1,303.42
Bernadette Kinsella	Offaly County Council		1,303.42
Frank Kelly	Dublin City Council		1,303.42
Joe Byrne	UCATT		1,303.42
Brian Byrd	SIPTU		1,303.42
Geraldine Browne	LGMSB		1,303.42
	-	Flights & Accommodation	31,970.37
	-	Hospitality	374.24
	-	Transport	38.50
TOTAL			41,507.05

Madrid: 10 - 18 October 2003

Participants	Organisation	Expenses	Amount
Aidan Kinch	Dept of Environment	Travel & Subsistence	546.00
Finbarr Maguire	TEEU		714.00
Michael McGinty	IMPACT		756.00
Denis Curtin	SIPTU		714.00
Joe Byrne	UCATT		756.00
Brian Byrd	SIPTU		714.00
Al Butler	IMPACT		630.00
Michael McCabe	IMPACT		756.00
Geraldine Browne	LGMSB		756.00
		Flights & Accommodation	11,972.37
		Hospitality	900
		Corporate gifts	400
TOTAL			19,614.81

Toronto and Ottawa: 4-10 October 2007

Participants	Organisation	Expenses	Amount
Terry O'Niadh	North Tipperary County Council	Travel & Subsistence	1,269.18
Peter Greene	Dept of Environment		1,269.18
Michael McGinty	IMPACT		1,269.18
Joe Byrne	UCATT		1,269.18
Brian Byrd	SIPTU		1,269.18
Frank Kelly	Dublin City Council		1,269.18
Peter Nolan	IMPACT		1,269.18
Paddy Coughlan	TEEU		1,269.18
Alice Hennessy	IMPACT		1,269.18
Geraldine Browne	LGMSB		1,269.18
		Flights & Accommodation	11,904.58
		Transport	2,223.00
		Rail	2,102.71
		Hospitality	807.09
		Car parking/taxis	161.90
		TOTAL	29,891.09

The information requested regarding specified members of LANPAG is outlined in the following table:

LANPAG Member	Representing:	Term:
Declan Naughton	LGMA	2001 to 2005
Frank Kelly	Dublin City Council	1999 to 2010
Ned O’Connor	South Tipperary County Council	2003 to 2010
Chris Gavigan	LGMA	1999 to date

LANPAG is supported in its activities by the LGMA which provides administrative assistance and acts as the host agency for LANPAG. Following the merger of the Local Government Management Services Board (LGMSB) and the Local Government Computer Services Board (LGCSB) and the establishment of the LGMA in 2012, I understand that a management decision was taken to rationalise the number of websites associated with the two merging bodies and to archive historical documents. As a result, the LGMA decided that the LANPAG website would no longer operate as a dedicated website; relevant material is published on the LGMA website www.lgma.ie Financial information relating to LANPAG is contained in the annual financial statements of the LGMA. Its Annual Reports are available on the LGMA website. I understand that LANPAG minutes have never been uploaded onto the website. The final accounts of the LGMSB will be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas shortly.