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Ireland
Financial Support Services Unit
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The Financial Support Services Unit is a support mechanism for the school management in the Voluntary Secondary and Primary School sectors which assists them in complying with the provisions of the Education Act 1998 in terms of transparency, accountability and financial responsibility for State and other funding.The FSSU addresses the financial interests and responsibilities of the Department of Education & Skills, Boards of Management, Principals and other partners as defined by the Education Act. The FSSU is fully funded by the Department of Education and Skills and is under the aegis of the Joint Managerial Body.PRIMARYSection 18 of the Education Act 1998 provides that a school Board of Management shall keep accounts of all income and expenditure, and obliges the Board to ensure that the accounts are audited or certified in accordance with best accounting practice.This section also provides that the Board must make the accounts relating to State and other funding available for inspection by the Minister and parents of students in that school.To fulfil this function, the FSSU was set up by the DES under Circular M36-05, in September 2004 under the aegis of the JMB. The Unit is fully funded by the DES and has responsibility for assisting all schools in the voluntary sector to meet their responsibilities for financial accountability and transparency.The DES have requested for the FSSU to expand these services into the Primary schools and to establish a division to support the management of over 3,200 Primary schools in Ireland.POST PRIMARYThe FSSU is responsible for setting up a framework of financial management, accountability and control for all schools in the Voluntary sector.This is carried out through the following:- Standardisation of school accounts, procedures and practices- Collation and review of annual financial reports from school- Preparation of accounts- Financial management seminars for Boards of Management and Principals- One to one and group training for new Principals- One to one and group training for Accounts secretaries / Bursars- Ongoing dissemination of up to date financial guidelines and information