ETB financial mismanagement claims

An investigation has been launched following claims of financial mismanagement at Galway and Roscommon Education and Training Board (GRETB).

It followed two protected disclosures received last year, and the reporting of the claims to the Department of Education.

The allegations are revealed in GRETB’s 2017 financial statements, which also show that nearly €1m of last year’s €31m non-pay expenditure was spent without adhering to procurement rules.

The nature of the financial mismanagement allegations, or where the alleged mismanagement may have taken place, is not revealed in the financial statements.

The disclosures are mentioned in the statement on internal control systems, signed by board chairman Noel Larkin, an Independent councillor, in late October.

It states that, after receiving the disclosures, an investigation was initiated and a related report issued in early 2018. However, it is not stated who produced the report or who it issued to, and it does not appear to be referenced in minutes of the February, April and June 2018 board meetings published on the GRETB website.

“The matter is being progressed and is still ongoing. Since the identification of the issue, GRETB has reviewed the management controls and provided additional training on financial management,” states the internal control statement.

A GRETB spokesperson told the Irish Examiner the issue is still being dealt with and it is an external process.

The board’s 2017 accounts show that spending rose 7%, from €87.4m to €93.5m last year, with the pay of more than 1,900 employees at 60 schools and training centres accounting for nearly €62.5m of the budget.

The statement says that €829,5000 was spent last year in a number of categories, as individual schools or centres made purchases or contracted services instead of using aggregated tendering across the ETB where combined value of certain spending exceeded the €25,000 threshold. The specific spending was on bus hire, cleaning, alarm monitoring and maintenance, refuse collection, school meals, and IT services.

Around €145,000 was spent on school books where finalisation of a tender process by the Office of Government Procurement was awaiting.