Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I think we might send the transcript of Mr. Tyndall's exchange with members today to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform for response. While we will complete a report on the overall observations on the various offices of ombudsmen, the issues Mr. Tyndall has raised repeatedly are standalone issues and can be dealt with as part of that ongoing process.

I think it will be necessary for the Office of the Ombudsman to update our committee regularly on progress. A range of themes are emerging: constitutional status; oversight of prisons; direct provision and the whole asylum system; the oversight of private or semi-State agencies that are delivering public services; the issue of an independent budget accountable to the Oireachtas; and standardisation of complaints. All those are key things - I am sure I have left out a few. It would be important for Mr. Tyndall to give us regular updates on progress. Obviously we will invite him to appear quite a few times a year, not just to discuss annual reports but regularly because this committee shares Mr. Tyndall's objectives on those matters.

We will send the transcript to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, and we would expect him to refer the transcript to the relevant Ministers and Departments, including the Departments of Health, Justice and Equality, and the Environment, Community and Local Government, for updates on those issues and respond to the issues Mr. Tyndall has raised. Obviously we will revert back to him when we have that response.