PAC to examine HIQA financial statements

Committee Chairman Seán Fleming said: “Among the issues we may focus on at our meeting tomorrow includes non-compliance with accounting standards in regard to the costs of superannuation entitlements and lease exit costs. We will be keen to ascertain the implications of not complying with the accounting standard and how compliance would affect the Authority’s bottom line and its surplus for 2016.

In its report, the C&AG also drew attention to Note 18(a) to the financial statements which discloses details of costs relating to the Authority’s exit of a lease in 2016 which included a write off of €491,800 in relation to the residual capitalised value of leasehold improvement, building restoration costs of €350,000 and additional rent of €146,000 paid as part of the lease termination agreement. The Committee will want to know how the Authority satisfied itself that the significant exit costs incurred represented value for money and what, if any, alternative courses of action were considered.

Other issues arising from the financial statements which we may wish to examine are: expenditure on agency staff, professional fees, interest and penalties in regard to incorrect accounting for VAT.”

This meeting will start in Committee room 3 following  a short  hearing with Acting Garda Commissioner Dónall Ó Cualáin Commissioner at 9am and the normal business of the Committee. on Thursday, 28 September 2017.

Committee proceedings can be viewed live here.

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