A new report by the Housing Agency has said an internal audit identified weaknesses in controls over housing acquisition and sales.
The agency’s 2017 annual report has been laid before the Oireachtas and outlines how over €1.2m was spent on goods and services last year “where procedures employed did not comply with procurement guidelines”.
The report mentions how a gift to the value of €4,000 was given to the retiring chairperson, understood to refer to Conor Skehan, who came in for strong criticism after his reappointment at the start of this year for comments alleging that some people presenting as homeless might be “gaming the system”.
In the report, the agency’s new chairman, Michael Carey, and chief executive John O’Connor writes that 2017 was “an effective period” during which “activity increased across all areas of work”.
It carried out 243 financial assessments to provide 4,102 homes, bought 365 vacant properties for social housing, and sourced 426 homes through Nama, as well as underwriting 1,289 house purchase loan applications and completing and handing over 29 homes in Knocknaheeny in Cork. It also remediated 392 homes under its Pyrite Resolution Scheme.
Mr…
