THE ROYAL Irish Academy of Music has told the Public Accounts Committee it expected its former president Dr John O’Conor to “entertain” in order to attract sponsors and private donors.
Salary and expenses totalling more than €250,000 paid in 2008 by the academy to the renowned concert pianist were criticised by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in his report last month.
In 2008, Mr O’Conor received more than €29,000 for hospitality, travel and other expenses, including entertainment in his home. The CAG report noted that “invoices or receipts were not attached to the credit card memorandum” used to claim payments.
Mr O’Conor, director of the academy since 1994, stepped down last year.
Chairman of the board of governors of the academy Dr Brian Aylward yesterday told the committee Dr O’Conor was a musician with a major international reputation, and part of his remit was to “significantly raise” the profile of the academy nationally and internationally.
The academy had no marketing budget outside Dr O’Conor’s expenses, and did not employ fund-raisers or a public relations company, and had no advertising budget. “The academy expected Dr O’Conor to entertain in order to attract, secure or thank sponsors and private donors”, as well as cultivating relationships with the diplomatic corps, Dr Aylward said.
The academy’s finance committee approved all his expenses, Dr Aylward said. Once the issues were raised by the CAG, the academy accepted its procedures were not in line with public sector norms and immediately moved to address the matter, he said.
“I give an assurance to the committee that practices highlighted by the CAG have been addressed and will not occur in the future,” he said.
