KWETB spent €1m in breach of guidelines - RTE TV report claims
Details of reports by the Comptroller and Auditor General and a draft Department of Education report into the Kildare Wicklow Education and Training Board use of its public funds have been revealed by RTÉ Investigates and reporter Oonagh Smyth.
The C&AG's 'Audit Query' which prompted a Department of Education and a Garda inquiry, shows that over €1 million of public funds have been spent in breach of Department of Education Guidelines and in breach of public procurement law.
The Department of Education said: "The matters investigated are of serious concern and the Department has referred them to An Garda Síochána. The Department is also considering legal advice.
"For this reason the Department will not comment as this time."
The report was contributed to by independent councillor Fiona McLoughlin Healy - who has been a long-time campaigner on the issue - and Cllr Réada Cronin.
The reports highlight how the Kildare/Wicklow Education Board's former Chief Executive Séan Ashe participated in public tendering processes where the contracts were won by companies associated with his family members. None of the required declarations of interest were made.
One Kildare based company, Ashten Engineering, which won several contracts, is run by the former Chief Executive's son Michael Ashe and his daughter in law, Jennifer Ashe.
Two contracts won by Ashten Engineering in June 2014 for heating and plumbing work at two schools - St Conleth's Community College and Blessington Community College (worth approximately €595,000) - were awarded within a month of the company being set up.
This is despite Department of Education Guidelines requiring companies tendering for such contracts to have a seven year track record for similar work.
The tender period for both contracts was curtailed to 5.5 days and 10.5 days respectively, despite Department Guidelines requiring a minimum 15 days for all tenders, to ensure as many companies compete on price and terms.
After the five-and-a-half days tender notice, Ashten Engineering were the only company to apply for the St Conleth's contract.
Another company which won contracts, without a tender or for which vital paper work was missing is Erris Contracts Ltd. At the time, it won the KWETB contracts Mr Ashe's cousin was a company director.
Another one of Séan Ashe's sons, John Ashe, who is a KWETB employee, also participated in the tender processes of contracts won by Ashten Engineering, the company run by this brother.
The Comptroller and Auditor General's Audit Query of the KWETB's 2015 accounts also highlights how the former Chief Executive issued a verbal instruction to a building contractor to speed up works, in breach of Department Guidelines.
The Guidelines require department sanction at the request of what's known as the 'employer representative', usually the project architect.
A cost overrun of €909,000, over half of which (€483,000) was attributed to what's referred to as 'an acceleration order' made by Mr Séan Ashe.
In another school construction project, highlighted in the Department of Education report, Mr Ashe also agreed substantial cost over runs with a building contractor in the absence of the project architect.
It is reported that the former Chief Executive then attempted to get the architect to agree to the payments. The report says the architect refused to sign off on the payments on the basis that 'monies will not be paid for works not completed.'
Another issue of concern highlighted by the Comptroller and Auditor General was the lavish use of the Education Board's expense account.
Hotel bills for one year amounted to €61,150, one third of which were invoices for the K-Club, where KWETB held regular staff meetings. The invoices were reported to lack 'detail as to the elements making up the invoiced amounts'.
Other expenditures raised by the reports relate to the former Chief Executive's use of the KWETB credit card and use of the Education and Training Board's vehicles.
The Dept of Education and Skills also said that the report begun by Dr Richard Thorn, President of Sligo Institute of Technology, submitted to the Department this year, is currently being updated to include clarifications sought by the Department.
A new Chief Executive, Dr Deirdre Keyes has been appointed to KWETB and the Department says that "work is ongoing on strengthening corporate governance within the organisation".