4 July 2008
Brangam Bagnall & Co: Legal Practitioner Fraud Perpetrated
John Dowdall CB, the Comptroller and Auditor General, published a Report today examining the events leading to the discovery of fraud perpetrated by George Brangam, solicitor and owner of the legal practice of Brangam Bagnall & Co against the health service. This reveals the extensive nature of the frauds committed and action taken since they were uncovered. The Report concludes with a number of recommendations for the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, the health bodies and The Law Society, to tighten up controls to prevent this happening again. More
2 July 2008
Financial Auditing and Reporting: 2006-2007
John Dowdall, the Comptroller and Auditor General for Northern Ireland and Head of the Northern Ireland Audit Office, today reported the results of financial audit work in the past twelve months. The report comments on a range of topics and issues arising. More
23 June 2008
Warm Homes: Tackling Fuel Poverty
34 per cent of homes in Northern Ireland are in fuel poverty. This means that in 225,000 homes, 10 per cent or more of household income would need to be spent on energy bills to maintain an acceptable level of temperature in the home. Since the research for these estimates, in 2006, rising fuel costs, particularly in recent months, will have drawn more households into fuel poverty. A report published today by John Dowdall CB, the Comptroller and Auditor General, examines the contribution made by the Department for Social Development’s Warm Home Scheme in delivering the Department’s objective of eliminating fuel poverty amongst vulnerable households by 2010. His report records that, since 2001, the Department has spent £98 million to improve heating and insulation in 60,000 homes. More
18 June 2008
Transforming Land Registers: The LandWeb Project
John Dowdall CB, the Comptroller and Auditor General for Northern Ireland, today published his report on the Land Registers’ (LRNI) £78 million LandWeb project. The report examines the background to the project, the reasons for the extension to the original Agreement, the project management and governance arrangements and whether the system is delivering the expected benefits. More
12 June 2008
The Exercise by Local Government Auditors of their Functions
The Chief Local Government Auditor, Mr John Buchanan, today published his report on the exercise by local government auditors of their functions. The report comments on a range of topics and issues raised by local government auditors in the course of their audits of local government bodies. More
22 May 2008
Managing Sickness Absence in the Northern Ireland Civil Service
Sickness absence levels are considerably higher in the Northern Ireland Civil Service than in Great Britain and in 2006-07, some 323,000 days were lost. This is an average of 13.7 days for every full-time equivalent member of staff. Sickness absence considerably reduces the productivity of Government departments; it affects service delivery and costs more than £25 million a year. It is very important, therefore, that Civil Service departments manage sickness absence effectively. More
23 April 2008
Transforming Emergency Care in Northern Ireland
Health Service Trusts in Northern Ireland have made considerable progress in reducing the length of time patients spend in accident and emergency (A&E) departments, largely through tackling the causes strategically. This reduction has followed a strongly increased focus, since 2006, by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety on Trusts ensuring that patients spend no more than four hours in A&E. More
15 April 2008
Hospitality Association of Northern Ireland: A Case Study in financial management and the public appointments process
The Comptroller and Auditor General for Northern Ireland, Mr John Dowdall, today published his report on the Hospitality Association of Northern Ireland (HANI). The report is a two-part case study, focusing on the financial management of HANI (a publicly-funded ‘third party organisation’) and the public appointments process. More
28 March 2008
Northern Ireland Tourist Board Contract to Manage the Trading Activities of Rural Cottage Holidays Ltd.
Government departments and their sponsored bodies administer public money and are responsible for the proper conduct of public business. The Assembly and the public expect that government bodies will do this to the highest standards. When conflicts of interest are not disclosed or managed properly this undermines public confidence in the standards of public administration. More
12 March 2008
Consultation on Data Matching Practice
The Audit Office has launched, for consultation, its draft Code of Data Matching Practice 2008. This follows its acquisition of new powers under the Serious Crime Act 2007 which will enable it to conduct data matching exercises for the purpose of assisting in the prevention and detection of fraud and identifying those who are fraudulently taking money from the public purse. The new powers are anticipated to come into force on 6 April 2008. More
5 March 2008
Electronic Service Delivery within NI Government Departments
Electronic Service Delivery Report to the Northern Ireland Assembly by the Comptroller and Auditor General Electronic service delivery is a key aspect of the wider e-Government agenda. It is about Government using new technologies, particularly the internet, to improve the way it delivers services and to transform internal efficiency. In July 2001, the Northern Ireland Executive established a target of having 100 per cent of key services capable of being delivered electronically by the end of 2005. More
30 January 2008
Absenteeism in Northern Ireland Councils 2006-07
The Chief Local Government Auditor, Mr John Buchanan, today published his 2006-07 report on absenteeism in Northern Ireland councils. The report examines the relative position of Absenteeism within Northern Ireland councils and considers absenteeism for the sector as a whole when compared with other employment sectors. More
23 January 2008
Social Security Benefit Fraud and Error
An estimated £60 million of the £3.5 billion social security benefits paid in 2006-07 was overpaid as a result of fraud and error according to a report published today by John Dowdall, the Comptroller and Auditor General for Northern Ireland. While tackling benefit fraud and error is one of the Social Security Agency’s priorities, the Auditor General’s report found that Agency faces a number of challenges, including the complexity of the benefit system, the need to implement efficiency savings and public complacency towards benefit fraud. More