SLIGO COUNTY COUNCIL has adopted a motion proposed by Cllr Declan Bree welcoming the recommendations contained in the Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General on the Administration of the National Health and Local Authority Levy Fund.
Speaking at the monthly meeting Cllr Bree said “Each year Sligo County Council pays tens of thousands of Euro to the Local Government Management Services Board. That Board is controlled by the City and County Managers Association, and we now know that the Board contributed over €750,000 to the National Health and Local Authority Levy Fund.
“The National Health and Local Authority Levy Fund we are told was established to develop courses for low-paid workers in the public service.
“However what emerged at the Public Accounts Committee meetings and in the Comptroller and Auditor Generals Report, relates to a slush fund, breaches of public procurement rules and civil service employment law along with lavish expenditure on foreign travel and entertainment for well heeled bureaucrats.
“Almost €600,000 was spent on foreign travel, to the USA, Australia and other far distant lands. €99,000 was spent on hospitality.
“A single restaurant earned €46,000 in business out of the fund between 2004 and 2009. There were no details kept on the identities of the people entertained or trained as a result. There were trips to Lanzarote funded in 2007, 2008 and 2009 which were not in any way work-related.
“There were 27 cheques made out to cash which cost €24,000, the administrator said this was because one particular supplier wanted the cheques for cash. The auditors were unable to identify the beneficiaries for €58,000 paid out to other suppliers where no records kept.
“The Auditors report documented a plethora of instances where inappropriate financial management was discovered. The report states that proper accounts were not kept and explanations for a host of payments were not provided.
“We also learn that a group described as the Local Authority National Partnership Advisory Group (LANPAG) which received its funding from the Local Government Fund, made a number of inappropriate payments to the National Health and Local Authority Levy Fund. While I could not find the names of the LANPAG representatives I found it noteworthy that the Local Government Management Services Board (controlled by the City and County Managers Association) acted as host for the Group.
“While I welcome the fact that the recommendations of the Comptroller and Auditor General relating to this issue have been accepted by the Department of the Environment I have to admit that I am disappointed that no sanction will be taken against any of the bureaucrats involved with the inappropriate payments. Again it is proof that there is one law for some people in this country and another for everyone else.” Cllr Bree concluded.