Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Before we move on from correspondence, I am most concerned about correspondence we have not received. At least five weeks ago we had the Accounting Officer for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform before the committee. He was asked to provide answers to simple questions that he did not have on the day. Most of these answers could have been provided in 24 hours. There is no reason all the information requested could not be supplied within seven days. Five weeks have now passed and there have been several further requests. I am proposing that if we have not received the information requested by next week, we ask the Accounting Officer to present himself for ten minutes at the beginning of the following week’s meeting to explain why he has not supplied the information. It is not about him giving the answers but to explain why an Accounting Officer for a Department with which this committee liaises has not responded to requests for information. While people may think this is extreme, often committee members ask questions, are told they will receive a reply but do not obtain one. As a matter of form, from now on if an Accounting Officer does not supply information requested after four weeks, he or she should be automatically brought back for ten minutes to explain why he or she has done so. It would probably be the best way of ensuring we receive the answers and information requested. Perhaps the secretariat will go through all of the meetings held since the summer and find out what information we have not received from Departments. Secretaries General should be put on notice that if we do not receive it within the next week, they are to come before the committee to explain why they have not responded.