Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 November 2004
329 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if there is a dedicated auditing unit in his Department assessing and monitoring the day to day spend of his Department with particular reference to major projects; if so, the number of staff involved; if the staff have accountancy qualifications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26845/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has a dedicated internal audit unit, which is free of other duties and independent of the activities it audits.
The unit is headed by a professional accountant and also includes two assistant principals, four higher executive officers, five executive officers and one clerical officer. Apart from the head of internal audit, HIA, other members of the unit has accounting expertise gained either from accounting modules in third-level courses passed and/or from participation in internal audits and other accounting-related areas of the Department.
The internal audit unit derives its authority from the Secretary General, to whom the HIA has the right of direct access. On audit and related matters, the HIA reports to the Department's audit committee and the HIA reports on a line basis to the assistant secretary whose responsibilities include human resources and other corporate service.
The unit provides advice and assurance to management on matters relating, inter alia, to the Department’s systems of business control, to quality of performance and to business risk. This includes regular audit work and assessments in relation to the scheme and administrative expenditures of the Department and to the various projects in train within the Department at any given time. The day-to-day monitoring of expenditures is undertaken by the line management of the Department and by the Finance branch and other central branches operating under the Department’s business controls, procedures and practices which are subject to ongoing and regular review.
