Minister fails to implement audit system for local authorities

“The Minister for the Environment Dick Roche TD has failed to implement a legislation announced by him last December establishing audit committees to scrutinise local Government expenditure.” This was stated by Cllr. Eugene Regan (FG), Cathaoirleach of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and Chairman of the Council’s Audit Committees, expressing his disappointment at the Minster’s failure to implement section 5 of the Local Government (Business Improvement District) Act of 2006.

Cllr. Regan stated that, “the Minister announced in early December 2006 a change in the legislation to provide for new Audit Committees for local authorities, but the relevant section has not yet been commenced.”

Cllr. Regan recently tabled a motion seeking the establishment of a new audit committee in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Council under the new legislation but has been informed by the County Manager that it is not possible to set up an audit committee under section 5 until that section has been commenced by the Minister.

“This follows on the Minister’s failure to issue guidelines for the operation of the existing audit committees of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Council, which has prevented the attendance of the local government auditor and the committees from completing their work,” He added.

Cllr Regan stated that “we now have the extraordinary situation that the work of the existing committees has been entirely frustrated by the Minister while the much trumpeted new audit committee system cannot be put in place due to the Minister’s failure to implement the necessary legislation.”

“I find it entirely unacceptable that the whole auditing process of the annual financial account of this Council has been frustrated by the inaction of the Minister. Value for money in local government expenditure is clearly not one of the Minister’s priorities,” Cllr Regan concluded.