THE Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr John Purcell, has told the Dail Committee on Public Accounts that 50 per cent of visits and services by Teagasc staff which had not been charged should have been invoiced.
His staff examined two west of Ireland Teagasc offices in 1994 and found a high proportion of visits and services were listed as being under contract and not subject to a specific charge.
He told the committee yesterday that he found 50 per cent had not been charged when they should have been. These included visits and services recorded as being provided under contract where no contract existed and visits and services provided outside the annual contract entitlement.
Teagasc responded to inquiries from Mr Purcell, saying there had been an organisational policy to "carry" those individuals in poor circumstances as a public good that some staff in moving from a non charging regime had difficulty working in a position were all farmers were being charged. This had been particularly difficult for older advisers in western counties.
Mr Purcell was told there had been "slippage" in the renewal of contracts and services. These had often been continued when contracts had been terminated in the hope of a subsequent renewal of the contract.
A survey undertaken by Teagasc, reported by the comptroller, said there was no measurable loss due to apparent delivery of excessive advisory visits. This year the guidelines were being clarified in relation to charging for services, making visits, invoicing and debt collecting. The areas where the problem was greatest had been identified and were being regularly monitored, Mr Purcell was told.