Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 March 2018
246. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of companies that applied for the competition following the recent tendering process to appoint auditors to the education centre network; the name of the successful tenderer; the agreed price for the awarding contract; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13596/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra247. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Education and Skills the reason external auditors have been appointed to audit all 21 education centres despite the fact that each centre will be carrying out internal audits by independent auditors; the reason each centre is being audited twice; the audit which will be considered the official audit for the annual report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13597/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 246 and 247 together.
Education Centres are independent statutory bodies under Section 37 of the Education Act (1998) and are managed by voluntary management committees elected annually and comprised mainly of teachers.
My Department is the main funder of Education Centres through direct budget allocations for administrative staff pay and operating costs. The Education Centres also receive significant funding from the support services which are funded entirely by my Department for the purpose of designing and delivering continuing professional development courses and other professional support for teachers throughout the country.
Under my Department’s accountability arrangements, Centres are required to have their accounts audited and the audit report must be submitted along with the annual report. A number of matters have been identified in recent times concerning the adequacy of the audit and governance general.
Following a competition conducted through the Office of Government Procurement (OGP), 9 framework members who had previously qualified to form part of the OGP Framework for the provision of auditing services were contacted and Crowleys DFK Auditors was awarded the contract to undertake an external audit of the 2017 financial accounts of all Education Centres. This will provide assurances that all Centres are audited to a consistent standard in accordance with recognised auditing practice.
The Deputy may wish to note that Centres were given a derogation by the Department in respect of their obligation under the existing governance arrangements to conduct their own external audit of their 2017 financial accounts. Where Centres choose to engage their own auditors, they may submit this audit to the Department as part of their annual report.
As the OGP framework under which the contract was awarded to Crowleys is still live, it would not be appropriate to release commercially sensitive information which may disadvantage either the contractor or the awarding authority in future mini competitions.
