Ireland

Active bank accounts in Garda college reduced from 50 to five

An internal audit discovered the college had been renting out land it did not own and using public money to fit out privately owned shops

Students at Templemore Garda College. Photograph: Cyril Byrne
Students at Templemore Garda College. Photograph: Cyril Byrne
Sarah Bardon
Wed Jun 14 2017 - 09:31

Five bank accounts remain active in Templemore Garda Síochána College, the Public Accounts Committee will be told today.

The committee will hear evidence from a number of people today including former chief administrative officer of An Garda Síochána, Cyril Dunne, and the current CAO Joe Nugent.

In documents sent to the members on Tuesday night, Mr Nugent informed the committee the number of accounts open had been reduced from 50 to five.

Mr Nugent confirmed some of the accounts had been made private to individual members.

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Public moneyis lodged in five accounts - the garda college, the shop, the restaurant, the CEPOL account which is EU money used to train gardaí and a separate account for other EU monies.

Mr Nugent said it has been recommended that there be just two accounts open. This would proceed when the status of employees in the shop and restaurant are known.

The committee will hear hours of evidence today on the financial mismanagement at the college. Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan is due to give evidence later this month.

A report by an internal audit unit, released in March this year, discovered the college had been renting out land it did not own, running 50 bank accounts and using public money to fit out privately owned shops.