The latest news from the Tipperary Midwest Community Radio news desk!
The start of the development of a cancer support centre in Tipperary town takes place this evening when Circle of Friends hold an official turning of the sod event at 6pm.
The group have been given an extended lease on a site measuring just over half an acre in the Knockanrawley area of Tipperary town. They have since published a plan of the building project which will have a final cost of just under a million euro. Construction contracts have since been signed.
Circle of Friends was established in 2013 and have been running their cancer support service out of a premises at Station house. Since 2015 they have been fundraising to develop their own centre and the whole project will start to take form from this evening when the sod will be turned.
This evening’s event take place at 6pm and all are invited to attend.
The Public Accounts Committee is to call on the Garda Commissioner to appear before it to address issues concerning financial controls at the Garda Training College in Templemore.
In a report by the Garda’s Internal Audit Section, the financial transactions of the Templemore facility over a number of years were examined. The report stated that it could provide no assurance that the internal management and control systems in place to manage the finances at the college are adequate.
Neither could it provide an assurance that the financial controls at the college are compliant with the Garda Finance Code.
The report found that funds were being spent on gifts and entertainment and that many bank accounts formed what it termed as ‘a non-transparent system of accounting’.
The chairman of the PAC, Sean Fleming has described the findings of the report as representing a breakdown of all financial controls at the Templemore Garda Training College. He added that he will call on Commissioner Noirin O’Sullivan to appear before the committee to explain what went on at the Templemore centre.
The Vice Chair of the committee, Tipperary’s Alan Kelly said that the findings undermine the reputation of the college, adding that the committee will also want to speak with the Secretary General of the Department of Justice.
