Top
Skip to Content
LOGO(small) - Queen's University Belfast
  • Our twitter
  • Our linkedin
  • Our facebook
  • Our instagram
LOGO(large) - Queen's University Belfast

Queen's Management School

  • Home
  • About
    • Mission, Vision, Values
    • Accreditation
    • Ethics
    • Gender Equality
    • Associations
    • 10 Reasons to Choose the School
    • Contact Us
  • Study
    • Undergraduate Study
    • Postgraduate Taught Study
    • Postgraduate Research Study
    • Master of Business Administration (MBA)
  • Student Opportunities
    • Secure a Placement
    • Highered
    • Data Duo Mentoring for Students
    • Student Ambassador Programme
    • DegreePlus
    • Join A Society
    • FinTrU Trading Room
    • Student Managed Fund
    • Student Experiences Blog
  • Research
    • Academic Departments
    • Research Centres
    • Research Environment
    • Research Impact
    • Research Staff
    • Find a PhD Supervisor
    • Publications
    • Working Papers
    • Seminars
    • REF 2021
  • Business Hub
    • Business Clinic
    • Data Duo Mentoring for Professionals
    • Meeting of Minds
    • Recruit Student Talent
    • Recruit a Placement Student
    • Give Back to QMS
    • Innovative Ideas
    • Executive Education
    • Good Business Podcast
    • Contact Business Hub
  • International
    • Come to Queen's
    • Go Abroad
    • Visiting Scholars
    • Global Partnerships
    • International Student Testimonials
  • People
    • Key Contacts
    • Academic Staff
    • Professional Services Staff
    • International Advisory Board
    • Research Students
    • Alumni
    • Honorary Staff
  • Executive Education
  • Events
  • News
  • Home
  • About
    • Mission, Vision, Values
    • Accreditation
    • Ethics
    • Gender Equality
    • Associations
    • 10 Reasons to Choose the School
    • Contact Us
  • Study
    • Undergraduate Study
    • Postgraduate Taught Study
    • Postgraduate Research Study
    • Master of Business Administration (MBA)
  • Student Opportunities
    • Secure a Placement
    • Highered
    • Data Duo Mentoring for Students
    • Student Ambassador Programme
    • DegreePlus
    • Join A Society
    • FinTrU Trading Room
    • Student Managed Fund
    • Student Experiences Blog
  • Research
    • Academic Departments
    • Research Centres
    • Research Environment
    • Research Impact
    • Research Staff
    • Find a PhD Supervisor
    • Publications
    • Working Papers
    • Seminars
    • REF 2021
  • Business Hub
    • Business Clinic
    • Data Duo Mentoring for Professionals
    • Meeting of Minds
    • Recruit Student Talent
    • Recruit a Placement Student
    • Give Back to QMS
    • Innovative Ideas
    • Executive Education
    • Good Business Podcast
    • Contact Business Hub
  • International
    • Come to Queen's
    • Go Abroad
    • Visiting Scholars
    • Global Partnerships
    • International Student Testimonials
  • People
    • Key Contacts
    • Academic Staff
    • Professional Services Staff
    • International Advisory Board
    • Research Students
    • Alumni
    • Honorary Staff
  • Executive Education
  • Events
  • News
  • Our twitter
  • Our linkedin
  • Our facebook
In This Section
  • About Us
  • Members
  • Publications
  • CNPR Events
  • Project Engagement
  • Contact Us

  • Home
  • Queen's Management School
  • Research
  • Centre for Not-for-profit and Public-sector Research
  • Project Engagement

Project Engagement

Ciaran Connolly and Elaine Stewart
The Reform of Ireland's Public Sector Accounting

On 27 May 2021, Michael McGrath TD, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, launched Chartered Accountants Ireland’s position paper on the Irish Government’s planned public sector accounting reforms.  Researched by Professor Ciaran Connolly and Dr Elaine Stewart of Queen’s University Belfast, The Reform of Ireland’s Public Sector Accountingexamines the key changes involved, including:

  • the preparation of accrual accounting information compliant with International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS);
  • central government consolidated financial statements; and
  • harmonising accounting practices across the Irish public sector.

Drawing on the views of representatives from government departments, agencies and advisory organisations/individuals, the position paper concludes by recognising the ambition of the planned reforms and that they are a significant statement of intent by the Irish Government to modernise its public sector accounting practices.

Further information is available at:
https://www.charteredaccountants.ie/irish-public-sector-accounting-reforms

The Reform of Ireland's Public Sector Accounting is available at:
https://www.charteredaccountants.ie/docs/default-source/publishing/the-reform-of-ireland%27s-public-sector-accounting---may-2021.pdf

 

Read more Read less

Donal McKillop and Irish Credit Union CEOs
How might COVID-19 affect Irish Credit Unions?

Credit Union CEO Forum, December 2020

The study explores how Covid-19 may affect Irish Credit Unions. Academic research was assessed to identify potential insights. Eight were identified and included, the important role of Credit Unions in the smoothing of lending and liquidity to households and small firms; that industry consolidation occurring in the aftermath of a recession is driven by both mergers and failures; that collaboration enables Credit Unions to achieve economies of scale and engage in activities that individual institutions may regard as too costly or risky; and FinTech and the digitalisation of products and services is increasingly shaping the business model of Credit Unions.

The sector was benchmarked as it was in September 2007 (prior to the Financial Crisis) against how it was in September 2019 (before the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic) to assess if credit unions are now better placed to weather a prolonged economic downturn. Compared to 2007 Credit Unions in 2019 are better capitalised, liquidity levels are higher and loan arrears are lower, however operational cost to income ratios are much higher and ROAs lower.

Case Studies, undertaken by the CEOs of ten credit unions, completed the analysis. Views were sought to five questions including what will be the longer lasting changes required by the Movement as a consequence of the COVID-19 Pandemic? The CEOs believed that sectoral consolidation and more shared service arrangements were needed to provide the breadth of products and services and the technology based delivery mechanisms required by members. A renewed focus on Business Model Development was a necessity. Digital solutions were viewed as the future as they drive down cost and provide far better member/customer experiences. The introduction of measures to facilitate organic credit union growth (risk based capital, operational standardisation, collaboration, management skills development…) were needed. More was sought from the representative bodies to help mitigate sectoral pressures.

Click here to access the Credit Union CEO Forum report for free

Read more Read less

Declan French, Donal McKillop & Elaine Stewart
Money Matters, 2018

The study assesses whether smartphone apps can be utilised to improve financially capable behaviours. Four smartphone apps, packaged together under the title ‘Money Matters’, were provided to working-age members (16–65 years) of the largest credit union in Northern Ireland (Derry Credit Union). The smartphone apps consisted of a loan interest comparison app, an expenditure comparison app, a cash calendar app, and a debt management app. The assessment methodology used was a Randomised Control Trial (RCT) with the U.K. Financial Capability Outcome Frameworks used to set the context for the assessment. For those receiving the apps (the treatment group) statistically significant improvements were found in a number of measures designed to gauge ‘financial knowledge, understanding and basic skills’ and ‘attitudes and motivations’. These improvements translated into better financially capable behaviours; those receiving the apps were more likely to keep track of their income and expenditure and proved to be more resilient when faced with a financial shock.

Click here to access the Money Matters report for free


Noel Hyndman and Mariannunziata Liguori
ICAS, 2015

This research considers how accounting change in central government, in both Westminster and Scotland, has been argued for and implemented over the last 35 years. It demonstrates the need for accounting change to be seen as both rational and promoted by those in authority if it is to be successfully embedded in an organisation. Anything less is likely to just lead to cosmetic changes. Changes tend to occur by layering the new on the old, and criticism or proposed abandonment of valued existing techniques will likely hamper the implementation of new techniques. The research also highlights the differences between Scotland and Westminster, with the suggestion that embedding of change may be more difficult in Scotland and concludes with implications for policy makers when introducing and managing accounting change.

Click here to access the Central Government Accounting report for free

 


Ciaran Connolly and Tony Wall
ICAS, 2013

This report investigates, through a survey and interviews, the implementation of IFRS in the central government departments of the three devolved administrations of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It seeks to examine the impact of reporting under IFRS, the merits and drawbacks of adopting IFRS, the impact on policy and decision-making and identifies lessons to be learnt for the future.

Click here to access the Implementation of IFRS in the UK Devolved Administrations report for free

 


Ciaran Connolly, Alpa Dhanani and Noel Hyndman
The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, 2013

Through extensive document analysis, surveys of various stakeholder groups and a number of semi-structured interviews with key actors, this report examines the accountability information made available publicly to charity stakeholders, stakeholder needs for such information and the perceptions of key providers of information about stakeholder information needs.

Click here to access The Accountability Mechanisms and Needs of External Charity Stakeholders report for free

 


Centre for Not-for-profit and Public-sector Research
  • Centre for Not-for-profit and Public-sector Research
  • About Us
  • Members
  • Publications
  • CNPR Events
  • Project Engagement
  • Contact Us
Queen's University Belfast - Logo (small)
Contact Us

Queen's Management School

Riddel Hall
185 Stranmillis Road
Belfast
Northern Ireland
BT9 5EE

GET DIRECTIONS

E-mail: qms@qub.ac.uk 
Tel:+44 (0)28 9097 4200
Fax: +44 (0)28 9097 4201

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Study
  • Research
  • Social media

 

 

 

 

 

© Queen's University Belfast 2023
Privacy and cookies
Website accessibility
Freedom of information
Modern slavery statement
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Manage cookies