Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 March 2019
950. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied with the corporate governance structures in place for the past two years in an organisation (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12740/19]
View answerBord na gCon is a commercial state body, established under the Greyhound Industry Act, 1958 chiefly to control greyhound racing and to improve and develop the greyhound industry. Bord na gCon is a body corporate and a separate legal entity to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
The Board of Bord na gCon, comprising of seven members - a Chairman and six ordinary members, is responsible for leading and directing the activities of the organisation. Bord na gCon is required to act in accordance with it’s statutory obligations, the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies and any other directives issued by Government or by my Department. Each year the Chairman of Bord na gCon provides me with a comprehensive report covering a range of governance issues in accordance with the requirements set out in the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies. Bord na gCon is audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General and it also has an Internal Auditor as well as an Internal Audit Committee.
Bord na gCon's annual accounts for 2017, audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General, were published on 28th June 2018 while the draft Bord na gCon accounts for 2018 were submitted to my Department on 28th February 2019.
Officials from my Department meet with Bord na gCon bi-annually to consider issues of mutual interest, including corporate governance.
The Greyhound Industry Bill continues to pass through the Houses of the Oireachtas, with the legislation now at Committee Stage in the Dáil. The legislation once enacted, will further enhance Bord na gCon's governance structures.
