Meeting the Compliance Requirements of the Code of Practice
The Forum briefing on compliance obligations provided an overview of governance standards expected of public interest bodies. The Code of Practice issued by the Department of Finance requires State bodies to confirm to the relevant Minister that they comply with the requirements of the Code.
Billy Hawkes, Data Protection Commissioner, outlined the governance challenges and the implications of EU and Irish data protection legislation. He provided a series of questions that a board should ask to receive assurance on adequate data protection procedures.
Ercus Stewart SC discussed employment law and how employment contracts and dismissals are interpreted in the courts. In his view, it is best to have relatively brief and easily understood contracts of employment together with a staff handbook. The importance of having what are seen to be clear and fair employment policies is well illustrated by the number of cases which come to courts where this is not the case.
Paul Turpin, IPA Governance Specialist, the Code of Practice as well as reflecting the standard principles of good governance also reflected the ‘hot spots’ which had contributed to recent high profile controversies. The reasons for these controversies included weaknesses in defining the purpose and strategies of organisations, insufficient attention to audit and other controls, poor standards of conduct and ineffective risk management.