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MINISTER FOR FINANCE Michael Noonan has revealed that the Department of Finance was informed in August 2010 about the €3.6 billion accounting error in the Irish national debt – but did nothing about it.
Noonan blamed “human error on behalf of one individual” for the embarrassing mistake which came to light yesterday.
Speaking in the Dáil this afternoon, Noonan said that an email was sent to “a particular person in the Department of Finance” 15 months ago to query the rogue figure. However according to the Minister “the significance was not appreciated at the time” and the email was never acted upon.
The mail was sent by the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA), which manages assets and liabilities on behalf of the Irish Government.
Instead the mistake was only spotted when the NTMA sent a second email to a different official when preliminary discussions were under way for December’s budget.
Noonan told the Dáil that he has ordered a report by the secretary-general of the Department of Finance into how the mistake was made. He has also announced an external review of how the systems failure took place within that particular section of the department.
The Finance Minister described the mistake, which saw €3.6 billion in the state funds counted twice in the government finances, as a “humiliating schoolboy error”.
Noonan was responding to a question from Fianna Fáil TD Michael McGrath during the Topical Questions time in the Dáil.
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Hilary Mantels criticism of Kate is just – “jealousy” – she, Hilary is probably like the back of a bus gone wrong.
she is lillian.
But Hilary Mantel is such a wonderful writer, being the first woman ever to win the Booker prize twice, plus winning the Costa prize in 2012. I doubt she would be the jealous type.
In response to Lillian’s comment
Mantel’s comments were taken out of context by the Daily Mail of all publications. It was part of a larger lecture on the royal family and was largely sympathetic.
Shame on the journal for mindlessly repeating such sensationalized gossip and shame on Lillian and some of the commentators for stooping so low as to speculate on what Mantel looks like. She’s a great author and a great intellectual, why is it in any way important what she looks like? Get a grip.
Take a good look at Mantel it’s uncalled for what she said
@AnnMarie We don’t see your face are you ashamed of your own appearance –
don’t tell me to get a grip
That is so unfair, and mean of this woman. The duchess of cambridge is a lovely girl, and seems like a down to earth, normal person trying to fit in and find her way. Why do people have to be so mean and nasty. This woman should keep her opinions to herself. Just because she is a famous writer does not give her the right to judge anybody. I too think she is just jealous, why else would a person be so cruel to another human being. This is totally uncalled for.
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