Organisation information
Audit Committee
From Department of Foreign Affairs
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The Audit Committee is appointed by the Secretary General of the Department, to provide advice to him in his role as Accounting Officer regarding the suitability and robustness of the organisation’s frameworks, systems and procedures for:
(1) governance, risk management, internal controls and
(2) evaluation of the Department’s policies and strategies
and is responsible to him for its performance in this regard.
The members of the Audit Committee are all external to and independent of the Department. The Committee has an advisory role with no executive functions, responsibilities or powers and has no role in approving evaluation and audit reports. It does not have any responsibility or involvement in the review and approval (on behalf of management) of annual financial statements for the Department’s Votes.
The Committee provides advice and an independent appraisal of the audit and evaluation arrangements, with a view to strengthening governance, risk management and internal controls across the Department, as well as helping to enhance the effective operation of the audit and evaluation function within the Department.
In line with the Department’s Internal Audit Charter, the Director of the Evaluation and Audit Unit prepares an annual report on the activities of the Unit for the Secretary General, a copy of which is provided to the Audit Committee.
The Audit Committee meets with representatives of the Comptroller and Auditor General at least once a year, these meetings essentially involve the sharing of information and views. The Audit Committee has no direct involvement in the annual audit of the financial statements for the Department’s Votes conducted by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General, but does review comments on internal controls and track implementation of any recommendations made.
The Audit Committee also refers to guidance provided by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to ensure compliance with the role of Audit Committees in central government.
The role of the Audit Committee is set out in its Charter, which can be found here.
Audit Committee, Department of Foreign Affairs Charter
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The Audit Committee’s membership have backgrounds in audit, risk management, overseas development assistance, and public administration. The Committee usually meets at least six times a year.
The current members are:
Chairperson
Mr Bill Cunningham (appointed May 2020, and as Chairperson with effect from March 2023) is a retired chartered accountant and former senior partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Bill also chairs the Audit Committee of the Mater Hospital Group and holds a number of non-executive directorships in the public, not-for-profit and private sectors.
Members
| Dr. Susan Murphy | Member | Susan is an associate professor in international development practice, Trinity College Dublin and currently researches and teaches on gender, climate justice, and development research and practice. She is Chair of the Board of Oxfam Ireland (Appointed June 2021). |
| Mr. Derek Moran | Member | Derek is a former Secretary General of the Department of Finance and is currently a member of the Scottish Government’s Exchequer Board (Appointed September 2021). |
| Ms. Josephine Mooney | Member | Josephine is a qualified accountant and a retired Deputy Director of the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Appointed April 2023). |
| Dr. Nicolas Marcoux | Member | Nicolas is a Senior Governance Specialist at the Institute of Public Administration. Prior to joining the IPA, Nicolas worked for the European Union Commission in various development and assistance capacities. He was the first Director of the Foundation for Human Rights in South Africa (Appointed June 2023). |