Auditor General concerned about value from state spending

The Government's revenue collection and spending for 2007 has been criticised by the Comptroller and Auditor General in his annual report for that year.

Overall there was a deficit of €1.6bn for the year compared with a surplus of €2bn for 2006.

The comptroller, who acts as an independent watchdog on government spending, has highlighted a number of areas where the Government could improve the value-for-money ratio.

More than €9m was advanced for flood relief work in 2007 even though it will not be used until 2009, according to the report.

The comptroller has expressed concern that the children's savings stamps scheme generates only between €4m - €4.5m a year but costs €1m per annum to administer.

The lack of competitive tendering for the procurement of many goods and services for the prison service has also been criticised.

The report has also noted that €1.2bn in development fees levied by local authorities had not been spent and that new Garda vehicles had been purchased but not deployed for over a year.

The Comptroller and Auditor General John Buckley has also said he is concerned that the special allowance introduced for soldiers on border duty at the start of the Troubles in 1969 was still being paid even though the conflict in the North was over.