IPPN

Published: 15 September 2016

Update in relation to the provision of a Financial Support Services Unit (FSSU) service at primary level

In the Governance Manual for Primary Schools 2015-2019 that was published last Autumn the Department indicated that it was planning to put in place arrangements to strengthen and support the existing financial governance arrangements at primary level. The strengthening of the existing financial governance arrangements is long recognised as a key issue to be addressed.

In that regard, the Department stated in the Governance Manual that it considered the type of service currently provided by the Financial Support Services Unit (FSSU) to voluntary secondary schools was a good exemplar of the type of service that it would be desirable to have available to primary schools, adjusted as appropriate to reflect the needs of the primary sector.

The FSSU service to the voluntary secondary schools includes:

• Providing an advice and support service for the schools on all aspects of financial management and control. As part of this process standardised procedures and accounting formats have been developed.
• Receiving annual accounts from schools.
• Carrying out such audits as may be required.

Current position:

- The Department has engaged with relevant stakeholders in relation to the provision of an FSSU type service at primary level. This will be done through an expansion of the existing FSSU housed in the JMB management body.

- It is envisaged that rollout of the FSSU service at primary level will occur on a limited and phased basis in order to manage within existing budgetary constraints.

- The Department has set up an FSSU Advisory Committee to advise and support the operation of the FSSU at primary level. The Advisory Committee is chaired by the Department and involves representatives from each of the primary school management bodies.

- The FSSU has commenced the recruitment process for two primary sector coordinator accountants who will work on the development of a national set of financial management guidelines that reflect the needs of the primary sector and which will include a standardised national format for school accounts. This will be done through building on existing work already done by the school management bodies.

- It is envisaged that the initial rollout of the FSSU service at primary level will involve it operating from two regional locations – Maynooth and Cork.

- The Department will publish a Circular when the FSSU service becomes operational at primary level. It is anticipated that this Circular will be published in the latter half of 2017.