PAYE and PRSI payments were found to be owing to the Revenue Commissioners by the Western Regional Fisheries Board at the end of 1993, 1994 and in 1995, the Dail Public Accounts Committee was told yesterday.
Outlining the extent of the problem, the Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr John Purcell, told the committee that in 1993 the figure was £253,509, at the end of 1994 it was £372,520 and by the end of 1995, the figure was £266,171.
Mr Purcell said similar problems existed at other fisheries boards and was more indicative of the practices in the private sector than a semi state body.
The comptroller's report said that by May of last year the arrears outstanding had been reduced to £200,334 and at that point the board entered into an agreement with the Revenue Commissioners to discharge the arrears with interest over a 24 month period.
He had asked the board why deductions of PAYE and PRSI made by it from staff salaries had not been paid promptly each month to the Revenue Commissioners.
He had been told that a combination of administrative difficulties and resource constraints contributed to the non discharge of the liabilities.
The comptroller said that he had instituted a value for money survey of the boards and the results will be available later this year.
Mr Michael Kennedy, regional manager of the Western Regional Fisheries Board, said the board was adhering to the arrangements made with the Revenue Commissioners and the problems were being resolved.
He said all the arrears would be, paid off by the end of this year, and with new auditing systems in place and computer back up, there would not be a recurrence of the problem, of which the staff were fully aware.