Full Kildare Wicklow Education Board investigation report referred to Gardai

The investigation into irregularities in the Kildare and Wicklow Enterprise Training Board 2015 accounts have been sent to the Gardai by the Department of Education and Science.

That’s according to the current chairman of the KWETB Noel Merrick, who revealed at a meeting of the education body on Tuesday last, May 8, that he and the acting chief executive attended a meeting at the Department last week and were told that while elements of the report had been referred to Gardai in the past, now the entire report has been sent to them.

The report was commissioned by the Minister of Education after the Comptroller and Auditor General raised what were described as “serious concerns” about discrepancies it believed it had discovered in the 2015 reports. The investigation was established, the Department of Education said, into “the performance by Kildare and Wicklow ETB of its functions particularly in relation to public procurement, usage and disposal of assets and propriety matters".

Dr Richard Thorn, a former director of Sligo IT, was commissioned to investigate the issue and his report has been with the Minister since January of this year.

At the meeting on Tuesday, KWETB members expressed frustration that Dr  Thorn’s report remains unpublished and therefore confidential and that an action plan they devised in reaction to his report cannot be fully implemented as a result.

Acting chief executive Rory O’Toole assured the members that large parts of the action plan have been implemented.

Cllr Teresa Murray expressed fears that “we’re approaching the silly season and recess. It’s been sitting with the Minister for so long”.

“It’s unfair of the minister to withhold the report,” Cllr Naoise O’Cearuil said. He proposed that the board write to the Minister urging him to publish the report. His proposal was adopted

Read more: Elements of Kildare and Wicklow Education Training Board report referred to Gardai

Read more: BREAKING: Special investigation launched into Kildare and Wicklow ETB