AN INVESTIGATION by a firm of auditors commissioned by Meath County Council, to look into the handling of uncashed cheques, has found that “there is no evidence that cheques have systematically remained uncashed for a considerable period of time”.
However, accountants Mazars did say there was a need to improve internal controls “surrounding the receipting and collection of planning contributions”.
It also said staff had “significant discretion when negotiating the terms of phased payments with developers and a system of approval should be implemented”.
The report was ordered by Meath county manager Tom Dowling after a heated council meeting in October, when Sirena Campbell (FG) asked him a question about uncashed cheques. At the time she said she was “not seeking to impugn the reputation of the county manager or any officials, nor am I acting on a hunch”.
During the debate, Mr Dowling was asked if anyone was benefiting from the council accepting post-dated cheques. All the cheques related to planning fees from developers and amounted to just over €1 million. The councillors were told the cheques were on hand for various reasons and some €40,000 worth had bounced.
The full report has been given to the county manager and it will be debated by a special meeting of the council’s audit committee next week. It says that seven of the eight files relating to the developments “had adequate explanations for the cheques on file and we concur with the planning department’s formal response”.
In the other instance, it said the cheques were not lodged/cashed due to “a query in relation to planning contributions that was not dealt with on a timely basis”.
Apart from the three councillors on the audit committee, none of the other elected councillors will be given a full copy of the report until their next meeting in January. Ms Campbell said she was “shocked and annoyed” at the leaking of the summary report and was concerned about the council’s internal controls.
“Only when I see the full report can I make firm conclusions, but already I am inclined to think the five-year period that I originally specified in my question may need to be more fully examined and that the time may come when the Comptroller and Auditor General may have to take a harder look at what transpired,” she added.
The summary acknowledges that there is a comprehensive review of procedures under way in the planning department relating to planning payments and new controls have been introduced.
