Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 12 November 2014
37. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will provide an update regarding implementing the recommendations for fishery harbours in the Comptroller and Auditor General's report titled Financial Management and Reporting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43006/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn the 8th July, the Comptroller and Auditor General published a Special Report on the Financial Management and Reporting for the six Fishery Harbour Centres owned, managed and operated by my Department.
My Department welcomed the C&AG's report which contains a number of valuable recommendations some of which relate to historical issues that have been proactively addressed by my Department. The Department accepts the recommendations of the report and work is underway to implement them.
The report notes that improvements have taken place with regard to the Financial Management arrangements at the Fishery Harbour Centres and focuses on ways to further enhance these arrangements. Since 2007, when my Department took responsibility for the Fishery Harbour Centres, a number of reports have been produced by management in the relevant Division of the Department and the Department's Internal Audit Unit, which precipitated a very significant programme of change that has been implemented in the Fishery Harbour Centres in the intervening years.
The report was the subject of a Public Accounts Committee hearing on 16th October 2014. My Department will continue to implement the recommendations of the report. I regard the implementation of the recommendations as a matter of high priority.
