Audit Committee – 2025 Financial Statement

Each year Dublin City Council prepares an Annual Financial Statement (AFS). The statutory Local Government Audit Service (LGAS) audits it. The audit is required by statute. The audit for the 2025 financial year began in December 2025. The Local Government Auditor's report gives an independent opinion on whether the accounts fairly present the Council's financial position. It also flags management issues. For example, the report on the 2024 accounts had an unmodified audit opinion. It also noted a deficit of €5.25m in 2024. The Audit Committee is an advisory body. It reviews the auditor's findings and the Council's internal controls and reports them to the elected members. This is the usual route for the audited figures to reach the full Council.

On the 2025 figures, the Council's published accounts show an overall deficit for the year of €4.1m. There were no changes to accounting policies effective for the 2025 statement. The unaudited statements reported that trade debtors fell to €446.6m gross from €512.9m in 2024. In 2025, 15 Internal Audit Reports were completed. The full audited statements are on the Council's Financial Accounting page of dublincity.ie.

This matters because the Council manages a budget of well over €1 billion, funded by commercial rates, local charges, government grants and development contributions. The audit gives the public and councillors independent assurance on how that money is accounted for. It also highlights risks such as debt collection, controls and reporting quality.