ESP Financial Accounts
Acceptable accounts show sufficient detail of income and expenditure activities of an organisation
Acceptable Financial Statements
Applications should be accompanied by:
- Copies of the most recent annual accounts, which the organisation was obliged to submit to the relevant local and/or national regulatory authorities in order to comply with statutory financial and accounting regulations in its country of operation. Signed by the Treasurer and another Board/Committee member
Where annual accounts are not yet available/required, the following should be provided at a minimum:
- An up to date annual Income and Expenditure account that includes a statement of assets and liabilities. Signed by the Treasurer and another Board/Committee member.
Organisations with no annual income, i.e. newly formed organisations:
- Declaration of no income/expenditure signed by the Treasurer and another Board/ Committee member (on headed official paper if available), along with evidence of a bank account, e.g. copies of bank statement
Additional financial information may be requested to complement the foregoing. The Department continues to reserve the right to seek an independent audit.
Acknowledgment of ESP funding
We require financial information that clearly demonstrates that the awarded grant was received and that it was spent. In all cases and in all financial reporting, funding received should be explicitly and separately acknowledged as: “Government of Ireland; Emigrant Support Programme”
In compliance with Circular 13/2014 of the Irish Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, audited financial statements or accounts submitted must:
- Show the amount (as per your Letter of Offer) and term (period) of the total grant (i.e. 1 July 2019– 30 June 2020 unless a different period is specified).
- Show the amount of the Emigrant Support Programme grant accounted for in the current financial statements. If that amount is less than the entire amount of the ESP grant you should indicate whether and how the use of the grant is restricted (i.e. is it for a particular project, or for the delivery of a particular service).
In addition, in line with the requirements set out in the abovementioned Circular, organisations are required to provide details of the number of employees whose total employee benefits (excluding employer pension costs) fall within each band of €10,000 from €60,000 upwards and an overall figure for total employer pension contributions.
This requirement applies even if salaries are not being funded under the Emigrant Support Programme.
Acceptable accounts
Supplying unacceptable accounts is a major issue that will hold up your application and is a red flag that ESP grant assessors look out for.
Acceptable accounts show in sufficient detail the income and expenditure activities of an organisation and must clearly set out and acknowledge all funding received from the Government of Ireland.
In all cases the financial accounts should respect the principles of clarity, transparency and accountability.
Differences in accounting terminology
We acknowledge that there are differences in accounting terminology, particularly between America and Europe. In all cases if you are unsure of the type or level of accounts or information required please make sure to contact your local Embassy or Consulate for clarification.