Institutes of Technology Act 2006

Amendment of Universities Act 1997.

53.— The Universities Act 1997 is amended—

(a) in section 24—

(i) in subsection (1), by deleting “, and the person so appointed shall be the accounting officer for the university”, and

(ii) by deleting subsection (2), and

(b) in the Fourth Schedule, by adding after paragraph 7 the following:

“8. A chief officer shall, whenever required to do so by the Committee of Dáil Éireann established under the Standing Orders of Dáil Éireann to examine and report to Dáil Éireann on the appropriation accounts and reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General, give evidence to that Committee on—

(a) the regularity and propriety of the transactions recorded or required to be recorded in any book or other record of account subject to audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General that the university is required by this Act to prepare,

(b) the economy and efficiency of the university in the use of its resources,

(c) the systems, procedures and practices employed by the university for the purpose of evaluating the effectiveness of its operations, and

(d) any matter affecting the university referred to in a special report of the Comptroller and Auditor General under section 11(2) of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Amendment) Act 1993 or in any other report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (in so far as it relates to a matter specified in subparagraph (a), (b) or (c)) that is laid before Dáil Éireann.

9. A chief officer, if required under paragraph 8 to give evidence, shall not question or express an opinion on the merits of any policy of the Government or a Minister of the Government or on the merits of the objectives of such a policy.

10. From time to time and whenever so requested, a chief officer shall account for the performance of the university’s functions to a Committee of one or both Houses of the Oireachtas and shall have regard to any recommendations of such Committee relevant to these functions.”.