Employment Equality Act, 1998

Accounts and audits.

53.—(1) The Chief Executive Officer, following the agreement of the Authority, shall—

(a) submit estimates of income and expenditure to the Minister in such form in respect of such periods and at such times as may be required by the Minister, and

(b) furnish to the Minister any information which the Minister may require in relation to such estimates, including proposals and future plans relating to the discharge by the Authority of its functions over a period of years.

(2) The Chief Executive Officer, under the direction of the Authority, shall cause to be kept all proper and usual books or other records of account of—

(a) all income and expenditure of the Authority,

(b) the sources of such income and the subject matter of such expenditure, and

(c) the property, assets and liabilities of the Authority,

and shall keep and account to the Authority for all such special accounts as the Minister or the Authority, with the consent of the Minister, may from time to time direct to be kept.

(3) The financial year of the Authority shall be the period of 12 months ending on the 31st day of December in any year.

(4) The Authority, the Chief Executive Officer and the other officers of the Authority shall, whenever so requested by the Minister, permit any person appointed by the Minister to examine the books or other records of account of the Authority in respect of any financial year or other period and shall facilitate any such examination, and the Authority shall pay such fee therefor as may be fixed by the Minister.

(5) The accounts of the Authority for each financial year shall—

(a) be prepared in such form and manner as may be specified by the Minister, and

(b) be prepared by the Chief Executive Officer and approved by the Authority as soon as practicable but not later than 3 months after the end of the financial year to which they relate for submission to the Comptroller and Auditor General for audit,

and a copy of the accounts and the auditor's report thereon shall be presented, as soon as practicable, to the Authority and to the Minister.

(6) The Minister shall cause a copy of the accounts and the auditor's report referred to in subsection (5) to be laid before each House of the Oireachtas.