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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 11 Oct 1994

Vol. 445 No. 6

Written Answers. - Finglas (Dublin) Children's Centre.

Frances Fitzgerald

Ceist:

471 Ms F. Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Education the action, if any, taken by her Department to date arising from a report (details supplied); and the way in which personnel involved with raising the issue were dealt with. [349/94]

Alan M. Dukes

Ceist:

472 Mr. Dukes asked the Minister for Education the circumstances in which an official on secondment from the Department of Finance to her Department uncovered the financial abuses in the management of Finglas Children's Centre in 1988 referred to in the Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General for 1990 (PL.8081); the reason no instructions in the matter were issued by her Department to the Centre up to 15 October 1992; whether appropriate instructions have since been issued; the further action, if any, that is envisaged or was taken by her Department in the matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [350/94]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 471 and 472 together.

The official in question was attached to my Department's special education section for a short period in 1987-88 and was involved in supervising the operation of the young offender centres. During this period, concerns arose regarding a series of apparent shortcomings in the operation of the Finglas centre. As a result, an audit was carried out and a series of internal control weaknesses were identified at the centre. It is regrettably the case that the necessary follow up action was not pursued at that time. This was due to staff shortages in the section concerned.

In 1991 my Department undertook a comprehensive internal audit evaluation of its control procedures in relation to the special schools. As a result of this exercise a comprehensive audit programme for the special schools was initiated. As part of this programme, a detailed audit of the Finglas centre was carried out in February, 1992 and measures were put in place to correct deficiencies and improve financial and management controls. To date, detailed audits have been conducted in four of the five special schools and an audit of the remaining school, Oberstown Girls Centre, is currently taking place. In each case, deficiencies identified have been corrected and improved control procedures have been put in place. The schools compliance with the revised procedures is being monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure that corrective measures ar being fully adhered to.
As a further measure aimed at ensuring the adequacy of procedures within the special schools, my Department has engaged independent consultants to conduct an evaluation of the financial and management control systems now in place.
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