The Technical Mix 2024
Registering for The Technical Mix at CPD Fest 2024 couldn’t be more straightforward. We have three packages for you to choose from – 8 hours, 16 hours and 24 hours of CPD – allowing you to customise the event to your own specific needs. Once purchased, pick ‘n’ mix the topics of most interest and relevance to you from any of the sessions running across the week of CPD Fest 2024.
CPD Fest Packages:
The 12 Gifts Of CPD Fest
Over the coming weeks we are going to give you advance access to hugely valuable extracts from the note packs The CPD Fest & The Essential Advisors’ Mix.
With The 12 Gifts of CPD Fest you will get guides, financial statements, checklists, tools, tax papers, letters of engagement and reports all the way up to and including the kitchen sink!
Registration for The 12 Gifts Of CPD Fest is free, quick and straight forward and you can do so here:
Event Details:
Session 1: Forensic Accounting - The Legal Environment and the Accountant as Expert Witness
Time: 09:00 – 10:40
Speaker: Dermot Madden – Madden & Co
There are many issues which involve forensic thinking, company law and taxation, and their inter-relationships, which professionals need to keep in mind, as they advise clients, or work as professional accountants in industry.
Being aware of such relationships will enhance the professional’s critical thinking as he or she ponder issues or advise on potential courses of action.
This will enhance their ability to add value to their work for their clients or employers.
Dermot Madden will cover the following topics during this webinar:
- What exactly is forensic accounting?
- Forensic Accounting compared to Auditing
- Experience Required and Critical Skills
- Communication Skills – Written & Verbal
- Spotting Fraudulent Behaviour
- Types of Engagements
- Writing reports as an expert
- Courtroom Performance and Bias
- Legal Environment
- Application to Tax
- Application to KYC
- Application to AML
This session will be of particular interest to:
- Qualified Accountants who wish to practice in this niche area
- Other interested accountants who wish to develop their forensic skills
Course Level: Intermediate
Session 2: A Revision and Update on the Key Ethical Standards for Auditors
Time: 11:00 – 12:40
Speakers: Elaine Jackson, Lindsay Webber – OmniPro Practice Support
As Auditors and members of the Audit Team, we must comply with the current Ethical requirements.
Thus, we need to understand exactly what those Ethical requirements are.
In this session, Elaine Jackson will be taking a practical look at how to comply with the requirements of the Ethical Standards and will be discussing the following topics:
- Ethical Standard Part A – Overarching Principles and Supporting Ethical Provisions
- Ethical Standard Part B Section 1 – General Requirements and Guidance
- Ethical Standard Part B Section 2 – Financial Business, Employment and Personal Relationships
- Ethical Standard Part B Section 3 – Long Association with Engagements and with Entities Relevant to Engagements
- Ethical Standard Part B Section 4 – Fees, Remuneration and Evaluation Policies, Gifts and Hospitality, Litigation
- Ethical Standard Part B Section 5 – Non-Audit Services
- Ethical Standard Part B Section 6 – Provisions Available for Audits of Small Entities
- Ethical Standard – Imminent Updates
By attending this session, you will refresh your knowledge of Ethical Standards.
This course will be of most interest to Auditors
Course level: Intermediate
Session 3: Law Society Update and Key Solicitors Accounts Issues 2024
Time: 13:40 – 15:20
Speakers: Rory O’Neill – The Law Society, Colm Owens – OmniPro Practice Support
In the first part of this session, Rory O’Neill will concentrate on the recent changes to the Solicitors Accounts Regulations which came into operation on 1st July 2023. The talk will give an insight into the Compensation Fund and the role of the reporting accountants. It will also highlight the types of issues that the Law Society investigating accountants encounter in the course of their inspections of solicitor’s accounts and identify risk factors when reporting on solicitors’ accounts.
Rory O’Neill will cover the following topics during this webinar:
- The responsibility of the Law Society to protect both clients and the legal profession
- Examples of issues that give rise to claims on the Compensation Fund
- Solicitors Accounts Regulation 2023
- Focus on key changes
By attending this session, you will understand why reporting accountants are integral to the regulation of solicitors and protecting the public. You will learn what has changed under the Solicitors Accounts Regulations 2023 and be able to confidently report on a solicitor’s compliance with same.
This session will benefit any practitioner with solicitors as clients and are required to report to the Law Society on same.
In Part 2 of this session, Colm Owens will discuss the following:
With continued media attention on solicitors when things go wrong, the role of the Reporting Accountant continues to come under scrutiny from both the Law Society and the various Accountancy Bodies.
And now finally, The Law Society has published new Solicitors Accounts Regulations which come into operation on 1 July 2023 replacing the current regulations issued in 2014.
With that backdrop the purpose of this session is to deal with the provisions of the solicitor’s accounts regulations focussing particularly on the role of the reporting accountants & the impact the key changes to the regulations will have on the work required & the standard on file that are required.
In this part of the session, Colm Owens will cover the following topics;
- The Legislative Requirements – Solicitors Accounts Regulations 2023
- The Law Society Accountants Report & Reporting of Breaches of the SARs
- Planning a Solicitors Engagement & the Requirements of the Reporting Accountant
By attending this session, you will obtain an understanding of the key changes to the Solicitors Accounts Regulations 2023 & the impact on your work.
Course Level: Intermediate
Session 4: Audit Insights: Unpacking Recent Changes and Future Trends
Time: 15:40 – 17:20
Speaker: Colm Owens, Lindsay Webber – OmniPro Practice Support
Join us for an essential CPD webinar exploring the evolving landscape of auditing in Ireland. This comprehensive session will equip you with practical insights into recent regulatory changes and emerging trends that will shape the future of audit practice. We will cover recent trends from monitoring reviews and highlight areas for you to watch out for in 2025.
Colm Owens & Lindsay Webber ill cover the following topics during this webinar:
- Overview of the profession and market in Ireland
- Auditing accounting estimates
- Going concern assessments
- Professional Indemnity Insurance
- CPD Requirements
- Audit standard updates
By attending this session, you will be prepared for the challenges.
This session will be of particular interest to preparers of financial statements.
Course Level: Intermediate
CPD Course Facilitators
Dermot Madden - Madden & Co
Dermot Madden has over forty years’ experience working at senior levels in the Irish Revenue Commissioners and the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (“ODCE”). Now the Corporate Enforcement Agency (“CEA”).
He is a former Commissioned Inspector of Taxes who lead the DIRT enquiry audits on behalf of the Revenue Commissioners.
The DIRT enquiry followed the revelation that all major Irish banks had operated tax free fraudulent bank accounts for many years up until the late 1990’s.
He was the senior Forensic Accountant in the ODCE for over fourteen years.
He has substantial and unique courtroom experience in giving expert witness testimony.
He has authored grounding affidavits in major white collar criminal cases.
He has lectured and examined Forensic Accounting in Trinity College Dublin.
He will bring his unique experiences, insights and advices to accounting and auditing professionals, to enhance their understanding of what good forensic thinking and reporting is.
Seamus McGrath – The Law Society
Seamus is Head of the Society’s Financial Regulation Department and leads a team of 11 investigating accountants. Seamus has overall responsibility for the investigation of solicitors’ practices, the management of the administration of the Society’s Compensation Fund and of reporting accountants’ reports as well as the management of secretarial service to the Regulation of Practice Committee.
Elaine Jackson - OmniPro Practice Support
As a member of our Practice Support team, Elaine’s focus is on providing firm’s with assistance and training in the following areas; Anti-Money Laundering, Audit Testing and Walk Through Procedures, Audit Planning and Efficiency, OmniPro Audit Working Paper Demos, Preparing for Monitoring Visits and Post Monitoring Visit follow-ups.
Elaine has over 15 years Accountancy Practice experience which has provided her with a wealth of knowledge across all industries and sectors. Elaine is an AITI Chartered Tax Advisor, a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Diploma in Corporate Finance.
In her previous roles, Elaine has experienced a number of ACA and ACCA monitoring reviews. This experience has provided Elaine with a great understanding and appreciation for the challenges facing Accountants in practice today.
Lindsay Webber - OmniPro Practice Support
As a member of our Practice Support team, Lindsay’s focus is on helping practices achieve on-going best practice compliance, providing in-house training, technical assistance, and file reviews.
Lindsay is a member of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants and Chartered Accountants Ireland. She trained with KPMG in Johannesburg and specialised in external audit of financial services companies. She then spent six years lecturing audit and financial reporting to under-grad and post-grad students at Rhodes University in South Africa before moving to Ireland and returning to practice in a small, and then a medium sized firm where she was an audit manager. Altogether, she has over six years external audit experience along with over six years academic experience specialising in Audit and Financial Accounting. She is passionate about combining her academic and practice backgrounds to provide technical information in a useful and practical way.
Outside of her accounting qualifications Lindsay holds a PGDiploma in Higher Education from Rhodes University and graduated with distinction from the MBA course at Trinity College Dublin. She is currently working towards a Diploma in Forensic Accounting through Chartered Accountants Ireland.
Rory O'Neill - The Law Society
Rory is a Fellow Chartered Accountant and is the Financial Controller of the Compensation Fund of the Law Society. Prior to this Rory, spent 14 years as an investigating accountant, carrying out over 500 investigations and has been involved in a number of contentious matters before the High Court and Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal.
He has been consulted in relation to regulatory matters on state projects and is extensively involved in raising the profession’s awareness of cybercrime and property fraud and the risk they pose to their practices.
Rory also worked for over 10 years in private practice gaining valuable experience in accounts preparation and audit of small to medium size enterprises, including reporting on solicitors’ practices.
Colm Owens - OmniPro Practice Support
As a member of our Practice Support team, Colm’s focus is on helping practices achieve on-going best practice compliance, prepare for monitoring visits and assist with post-monitoring visits follow-ups.
Having spent the 6 years prior to joining OmniPro as a quality reviewer with Chartered Accountants Ireland Colm has a unique insight into how firms operate, the challenges facing firms and how firms are responding to current issues facing them and the profession.
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