NATIONAL MUSEUMS NI
ANNUAL REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2024
3.5 The Certificate and Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General to the Northern Ireland
Assembly
Opinion on financial statements
I certify that I have audited the financial statements of the National Museums Northern Ireland for
the year ended 31 March 2024 under the Museums and Galleries (Northern Ireland) Order 1998.
The financial statements comprise: the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet, the
Cash Flow Statement. and the related notes including significant accounting policies. The financial
reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom
Accounting standards including the Charities SORP (FRS 102) "The Financial Reporting Standard
applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland" (United Kingdom Generally Accepted
Accounting Practice).
I have also audited the information in the Remuneration and Staff Report that is described in that
report as having been audited.
In my opinion the financial statements:
give a true and fair view of the state of National Museums Northern Ireland's affairs as at
31 March 2024 and of its total incoming reSoUr￿S and expenditure of resources for the
year then ended.
have been properly prepared in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard
applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)" and
have been properly prepared in accordance with the Museums and Galleries (Northern
Ireland) Order 1998 and Department for Communities directions issued thereunder.
Opinion on regularity
In my opinion, in all material respects the expenditure and income recorded in the financial
statements have been applied to the purposes intended by the Assembly and the financial
transactions recorded in the financial statements confomi to the authorities which govern them.
Basis for opinions
I conducted my audit in accordan￿ with International Stsndards on Auditing (ISAS) (UK), applicable
law and Practice Note 10 'Audit of Financial Statements and Regularity of Public Sector Bodies in
the United Kingdom,. My responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor's
responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of this certificate.
My staff and l are independent of National Museums Northem Ireland in accordance with the ethical
requirements that are relevant to my audit of the financial statements in the UK. including the
Financial Reporting Council's Ethical Standard, and have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in
accordance with these requirements.
I believe that the audit eviden￿ obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for my
opinions.
Conclusions relating to going concern
In auditing the financial statements, I have concluded that National Museums Northem Ireland's use
of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is
appropriate.
Based on the work I have performed, I have not disclosed in the financial statements any identified
any material uncertainties that relating to events or conditions that. individually or collectively, may
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cast significant doubt about on the National Museums Northem Ireland's ability to continue as a
going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are
authorised for issue.
The going concern basis of accounting for National Museums Northern Ireland is adopted in
consideration of the requirements set out in the Govemment Reporting Manual, which require
entities to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements
where it anticipated that the services which they provide will continue into the future.
My responsibilities and the responsibilities of the Trustees and the Chief Executive with respect to
going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.
Other Information
The other information comprises the infonmation included in the Trustees. annual report other than
the financial statements, the parts of the Accountability Report described in that report as having
been audited. and my audit certificate and report. The Trustees and the Chief Executive are
responsible for the other information included in the annual report. My opinion on the financial
statements does not cover the other information and except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated
in my report. I do not express any fomi of assuran￿ conclusion thereon.
My responsibility is to read the other infomiation and, in doing so, consider whether the other
information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or my knowledge obtained in the
audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If l identify such material inconsistencies or
apparent material misstatements. l am required to determine whether this gives rise to a material
misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work I have performed. I
conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information. l am required to report that
fact.
I have nothing to report in this regard.
Opinion on other matters
In my opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:
the parts of the Accountsbility Report to be audited have been properly prepared in
accordance with Department for Communities directions made under the Museums and
Galleries (Northern Ireland) Order 1998. and
the information given in the Perfon￿an￿ and Accountsbility Reports for the financial year
for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial
statements.
Matters on which I report by exception
In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the National Museums Northern Ireland and its
environment obtained in the course of the audit, I have not identified material misstatements in the
Performance Report and Accountability Report.
I have nothing to report in respect of the following matters which I report to you if, in my opinion..
adequate accounting records have not been kept; or
the financial statements and the parts of the Accountability Report to be audited are not
in agreement with the accounting records: or
certain disclosures of remuneration specified by the Govemment Financial Report
Manual are not made. or
I have not received all of the information and explanations I require for my audit; or
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the Governance Statement does not reflect compliance with the Department of Finance's
guidance.
Responsibilities of the Trustees and Accounting Officer for the financial statements
As explained more fully in the Statement of the Trustees and Chief Executive's Responsibilities, the
Trustees and the Chief Executive as Accounting Officer are responsible for:
the preparation of the financial statements in accordan￿ with the applicable financial
reporting framework and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view.
such internal controls as the Trustees and Accounting Officer determines is necessary to
enable the preparation of financial ststements that are free from material misstatement,
whether due to fraud of error"
assessing the National Museums Northern Ireland's ability to continue as a going
concern. disclosing. as applicable. matters related to going con￿rn and using the going
concern basis of accounting unless the Trustees and Accounting Officer anticipates that
the services provided by National Museums Northern Ireland will not continue to be
provided in the future.
Auditor's responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements
My responsibility is to examine, certify and report on the financial statements in accordance with the
Museum and Galleries (Northem Ireland) Order 1998.
My objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a
whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error and to issue a certificate
that includes my opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance. but is not a guarantee
that an audit conducted in accordance with ISA'S (UK) will always detect a material misstatement
when it exists.
Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if. individually or in the
aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to Influen￿ the economic decisions of users taken
on the basis of these financial statements.
I design prO￿dureS in line with my responsibilities. outlined above. to detect material misstatements
in respect of non-complian￿ with laws and regulation. including fraud.
My procedures included:
obtaining an understanding of the legal and regulatory framework applicable to the
National Museums Northern Ireland through discussion with management and
application of extensive public sector accountsbility knowledge. The key laws and
regulations I considered included Museum and Galleries (Northern Ireland) Order 1998.
making enquires of management and those charged with govemance on National
Museums Northern Ireland's compliance with laws and regulations"
making enquiries of internal audit, management and those charged with governance as
to susceptibility to irregularity and fraud. their assessment of the risk of material
misstatement due to fraud and irregularity, and their knowledge of actual, suspected and
alleged fraud and irregularity.
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completing risk assessment procedures to assess the susceptibility of National
Museums Northem Ireland's financial statements to material misstatement, including
how fraud might occur. This included, but was not limited to, an engagement director led
engagement team discussion on fraud to identify particular areas. transaction streams
and business practices that may be SUS￿ptib1e to material misstatement due to fraud.
As part of this discussion. l identified potential for fraud in the following areas:
management override of controls through the posting of unusual journals, revenue
recognition, and the extent of management bias within key accounting estimates;
engagement director oversight to ensure the engagement team collectively had the
appropriate competence. capabilities and skills to identify or recognise non-compliance
with the applicable legal and regulatory framework throughout the audit;
documenting and evaluating the design and implementation of internal controls in place
to mitigate risk of material misstatement due to fraud and non-compliance with laws and
regulations:
designing audit procedures to address specific laws and regulations which the
engagement team considered to have a direct material effect on the financial statements
in terms of misstatement and irregularity, including fraud. These audit procedures
included. but were not limited to. reading board and committee minutes, and agreeing
financial statement disdosures to underlying supporting documentation and approvals
as appropriate" and
addressing the risk of fraud as a result of management override of controls by:
performing analytical procedures to identify unusual or unexpected relationships
or movements"
testing journal entries to identify potential anomalies, and inappropriate or
unauthorised adjustments;
assessing whether judgements and other assumptions made in determining
accounting estimates were indicative of potential bias. and
investigating significant or unusual transactions made outside of the normal
course of business; and
A further description of my responsibilities for the audit of the financial ststements is located on the
Financial Reporting Council's website www.frc.or
.uklauditorsres
onsibilities. This description forms
part of my certrficate.
In addition. l am required to obtain evidence sufficient to give reasonable assurance that the
expenditure and income recorded in the financial statements have been applied to the purposes
intended by the Assembly and the financial transactions recorded in the financial statements
conform to the authorities which govern them.
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Report
I have no obseNations to make on these financial statements.
Dorinnia Carville
Comptroller and Auditor General
Northern Ireland Audit Office
106 University Street
BELFAST
BT7 1EU
13 November 2024
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