asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce when he expects to be in a position to have the accounts of receipts and expenditure in respect of the export guarantee arrangements under the Insurance Act, 1953, laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Insurance Act, 1953.
30.
It is not possible to say when, precisely, the accounts referred to by the Deputy will be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas.
Under the Insurance Act, 1953, I am required to have prepared an account of receipts and expenditure, for each financial year, in respect of export guarantee arrangements, for audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) prior to being laid before the Houses. Because of inconclusive exchanges between my Department and officials of the C&AG about a revised format and content of the accounts, the work in question has been held up.
As the exchanges have now been finalised, the outstanding accounts will be submitted to the C&AG for audit without further delay. They will, therefore, be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas as soon as the audit is completed.