Harbour Authorities Expenditure

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 July 2013

Tuesday, 2 July 2013

Ceisteanna (596)

Pearse Doherty

Ceist:

596. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine further to Parliamentary Question No. 786 of 11 June 2013, the reasons the audit of financial statements of the fishery harbour centres are not up to date; his views on whether it is acceptable that these accounts have not been completed since 2007; if he will provide the unaudited amounts for the years 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31635/13]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The following table sets out the provisional figures for income earned in each of the six Fishery Harbour Centres in the years 2008 to 2012:

Harbour	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012
Castletownbere	608,478	564,124	588,554	663,366	788,568
An Daingean	412,208	398,698	444,911	397,585	431,330
Dunmore East	235,103	248,123	231,710	222,068	238,633
Howth	727,939	658,520	639,779	673,389	928,761
Killybegs	2,175,876	1,844,946	2,015,094	1,809,362	2,219,069
Ros an Mhíl	490,760	546,113	406,470	415,205	301,064
Total	4,650,364	4,260,524	4,326,518	4,180,976	*4,907,425

(* Please note that the 2012 figures do not include accruals adjustments)

There were issues identified with the billing of fees in some of the Fishery Harbours in 2007 and 2008, following handover of responsibility from the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to my Department in 2007. Resolution of these issues delayed both the production and the audit of these and subsequent years’ annual accounts. Officials in my Department are actively engaged with officials of the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General to complete all outstanding accounts this year.