IPPN

Published: 26 March 2009

Source: independent.ie

By John Walshe Education Editor


Thursday March 26 2009

THE State spending watchdog has contradicted a claim by Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe that a major value-for-money review of higher education is nearly completed.

Mr O'Keeffe yesterday told the Dail the audit was nearing completion. He said he had received the information from members of the Committee of Public Accounts.

However, a letter sent by the Comptroller and Auditor General, John Buckley, -- seen by the Irish Independent -- clearly states that the review will take up to 18 months before it is concluded.

In the letter, dated March 19, 2009, Mr Buckley said only preliminary work scoping out a study had been done, and that the substantive work will not start until the autumn.

"In general, value for money reviews can take up to one year to finalise," he wrote.

Resources

Mr Buckley said his office has a limited pool of staff available for reporting work.

He added that the first call on resources was to ensure that the accounts of state bodies were certified on a annual basis. Work on other reporting topics, including FAS, had to be prioritised, he said.

Last night, it emerged Mr O'Keeffe based his Dail claim on information he had received from three people, including the current vice chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Darragh O'Brien, who said the letter from the C&NG was news to him.

"My very clear understanding was that there was much more than a scoping out of a study involved and that the report was nearing completion" he told the Irish Independent.

Comments

A spokesperson for Mr O'Keeffe said the minister had based his Dail comments on what he understood the Comptroller and Auditor General had told the current vice chair, a former vice chair and the convenor of the Committee of Public Accounts.

The letter from the C&NG was sent to Fine Gael education spokesperson Brian Hayes, who last night accused the minister of making things up as he went along.

The "forensic audit" was promised eight months ago but there was still sign of it, said Mr Hayes.

"In fact, the situation is worse as he will now bring his proposals on funding higher education to cabinet next week, without the higher level strategy review due by year end, and without his forensic audit. He talks a great game."

In a recent Dail reply, Mr Hayes said the C&NG's programme of work in the higher education area would assist in the preparation of the national strategy.

Work on this strategy has already begun under the direction of a steering group, chaired by economist Dr Colin Hunt.

This strategy group is due to report before the end of the year.

However, Mr Hayes asked how the C&NG's work could help as it would not commence until the autumn and would not be finished for up to 18 months from now.

- John Walshe Education Editor