John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The first item on the agenda concerns the minutes of our meeting on 23 and 24 October 2012. Are these minutes agreed to? Agreed. The minutes of 25 and 31 October will be taken at our next meeting.

Deputy Harris had indicated that he wished to raise the issue of Irish Aid and we had that down as No. 2 on the agenda, but we will wait and see if Deputy Harris attends and we can take it at that point.

No. 3 is correspondence received since 25 October. No. 3A is correspondence from Accounting Officers. No. 3A.1 is correspondence dated 12 October 2012 from Mr. Robert Watt, Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, that was deferred from our meeting on 25 October 2012. It is a minute from a previous report and we will take that at another date. Is that agreed? Agreed.

No. 3A.2 is correspondence from 5 October from Mr. Ray Mitchell, parliamentary and regulatory affairs division, forwarding a note regarding the deal on the cost of drugs with the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association. This is to be noted and we will incorporate this note in our upcoming report on the HSE, which is being completed.

No. 3A.3 is correspondence dated 25 October 2012, from Mr. Tom O'Mahony, Secretary General, Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. It is linked to correspondence under No. 3A.7 re providing information previously requested by the committee regarding CIE and Bus Éireann. This is to be noted and published. There is a separate letter relating to the oversight of the spend from the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General. Taking the two together, I think the committee could have a useful session with the National Transport Authority whose accounts are audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General and who has received independent audits of the public service obligations payments made to CIE. We can table that for a future date, perhaps as early as possible now that we have the information.

No. 3A.4 is correspondence dated 26 October 2012 from Mr. John Moran, Secretary General, Department of Finance, re providing information previously requested by the committee regarding taxpayers' money given to AIB for the purposes of mortgage write-downs. This is to be noted and published.

No. 3A.5 is correspondence dated 26 October 2012 from Mr. Robert Watt, Secretary General, Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, re providing information requested by the committee at its meeting of 18 October 2012. This is to be noted and taken into consideration in the context of our upcoming report on the review of public sector allowances.

No. 3A.6 is correspondence dated 30 October 2012 from Mr. Tom Boland, chief executive, Higher Education Authority, re providing information requested by the committee at its meeting of 4 October 2012. This is to be noted and published.

No. 3A.7 is correspondence dated 31 October 2012 from Mr. Andy Harkness, secretary and director of audit, Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General, re providing information previously requested by the committee regarding CIE. This is to be noted and published.

No. 3C is individual correspondence. No. 3C.1 is correspondence dated 26 October 2012 from Mr. John Curry re County Wexford Vocational Education Committee, to be noted. This is an individual grievance issue, although it also shows up how the Department mishandled the issue and did not issue a reply to this individual's concerns for three years. The resolution of this is not a matter for the Committee of Public Accounts, however, so we will ask that the Department and County Wexford VEC deal fully and openly with this individual's complaint and correspond with us concerning the response they issue.

No. 3D concerns documents relating to the committee meeting of 1 November 2012. No. 3D.1 is correspondence dated 17 October 2012 from An Garda Síochána forwarding details regarding payment of allowances in An Garda Síochána, to be noted. No. 3D.2 is correspondence dated 24 October 2012 from An Garda Síochána forwarding details regarding payment of allowances in An Garda Síochána, to be noted. No. 3D.3 is correspondence received 31 October 2012 from Mr. Martin Callinan, Commissioner, An Garda Síochána, re opening statement, to be noted and published. No. 3D.4 is correspondence received 1 November 2012 from Mr. John Redmond, General Secretary, Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, re opening statement, to be noted and published.

No. 4 concerns reports, statements and accounts received since meeting of 11 October 2012. No. 4.1 is Leopardstown Park Hospital, annual financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011. No. 4.2 concerns the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland's annual report for 2011.

No. 5 is our work programme which is now on screen. It takes account of the schedule of meetings on the payments of public sector allowances in 2011 and also includes meetings scheduled up to 20 December 2012. The meeting arranged with the HSE on Tuesday, 6 November will have to be rescheduled due to an issue with the availability of Oireachtas committee rooms. The HSE representatives are available on Thursday, 8 November but only in the afternoon. I propose, therefore, that we schedule the meeting for 2 p.m. on Thursday, 8 November. Would members consider that to be an appropriate time? The HSE representatives are not available on Tuesday or on Thursday morning so we have suggested to them to meet at 2 p.m. on Thursday, 8 November.