Committee of Public Accounts to examine 2022 Appropriation Account and chapters of C&AG report with Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

The meeting at 9.30am in Committee Room 3 of Leinster House will be joined by the Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr Seamus McCarthy, and officials from Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and representatives of Uisce Éireann and the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), and will also examine:

• Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2022: Chapter 3 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities; and
• Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2022: Chapter 4 - Accountability for Central Funding of Local Authorities.

During the afternoon session, beginning at 1.30pm, the Committee will consider correspondence and other business of the Committee.

Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Brian Stanley said: “The main responsibilities of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage are the funding of provision for social housing and water services, and the related strategy, policies and legislation. In addition, it oversees the arrangements for, and accountability of, local authorities.

“In 2022, the Department’s expenditure was €5.6 billion out of a total voted budget of €6.2 billion. The key programme areas of Housing (€3.4 billion), Water Services (€1.5 billion) and Local Government (€428 million) accounting for 95 per cent of the spend. Surplus funds were €587 million. Of this, €340 million was unspent capital that was carried over for spending in 2023 while the balance of €247 million was surrendered.

“The Local Government Fund receives the proceeds of the annual Local Property Tax from the Revenue Commissioners, which was €499 million in 2022. In addition, the Fund was topped up by transfers from Vote 34 of €388 million in 2022. Local authorities also raise some funding locally, through imposition of commercial rates and charges for services. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage provides the majority of the funding for local authority expenditure on housing and regeneration — around 98 per cent in 2022.

“Local government is a separate layer of government, with its own constitutional recognition and local authorities are not within the C&AG’s audit remit. Instead, they are audited by the Local Government Audit Service, which is part of the Department. The functioning and performance of local authorities is also overseen by the National Oversight and Audit Commission.

“Specific areas of interest for the Committee include delivery of social housing by Local Authorities and the failure to meet targets set for 2022, the €396 million underspend of capital provision for local authority housing, funding by the Department to Uisce Éireann and governance and oversight structures of the Department in respect of that expenditure. Members look forward to discussing these and related matters with the Department officials and representatives of Uisce Éireann and the CRU.”

The meeting in Committee Room 3 can be viewed live on Oireachtas TV.

PAC is a standing committee of Dáil Éireann which focuses on ensuring public services are run efficiently and achieve value for money. Further information on the role and remit of the Committee can be found here.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.