Auditors concerned over spending of EU funds

AUDITORS reporting on the EU’s accounts for its €114 billion budget warned they are unhappy about €7bn paid out for rural development and to help poorer regions.

They raised several questions about Irish projects, including spending of the EU’s €144m budget for cross-border peace and reconciliation.

Ireland’s representative on the Court of Auditors, former Justice Minister Máire Geoghegan Quinn, said: “We believe that if about 2% of projects show errors that is acceptable but if its more than 2%, then questions need to be asked.”