Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----and that there would be a structured feed-in to ensure all members of the committee are aware of the process? We have written to the Departments. In terms of the way we will structure the hearings, the committee has a reputation for being independent of mind, inclusive and working very much in the public interest. The public would like to see the actual process as much as the end result because the process is very important. I ask that the letter sent to the individual Departments be circulated to members and, as matters progress, that members be given a progress report via the clerk on how matters are proceedings to ensure that when the Minister comes before the committee, we will know the body of work we will have to do thereafter. Our hearing with the Minister will be influenced by our body of work. We should put in place a structured process in terms of how the hearings will take place over a period of time and feed that into the information we are requesting. A first step would be if the letters to the Departments could be circulated to us.