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

We do not have a date set for that meeting. If we can find out when the report will be available after the Minister completes her examination of it, we can set an early date for that hearing. We should also write to the Minister again in regard to the report on Cork VEC to ask when it will be laid before the House.

No. 3A.5 relates to correspondence dated 11 March 2015 from NAMA outlining the mediation process. This will be noted and published. No. 3A.6 is correspondence dated 4 March 2015 from Mr. Aidan O'Driscoll, Secretary General of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. This is a follow-up to our meeting regarding Bord na gCon. This is to be noted and published. As we have now received replies from both the Department and Bord na gCon, I will ask the secretariat to proceed to draft a report on the matters covered in our examination of the topic.

No. 3A.7 concerns correspondence dated 16 March 2015 from Mr. Martin Shanahan, CEO of the IDA. This is a follow-up from our meeting of 12 February and is to be noted and published. No. 3A.8 is correspondence dated 19 March 2015 from Mr. John McCarthy, Secretary General of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and is a follow-up to our meeting of 15 February 2015.

The correspondence is to be noted and published.

No. 3A.9 is correspondence, dated Monday, 23 March 2015, from the HSE on section 38 agencies. The correspondence is to be noted and published. We will be able to have an in-depth discussion on this matter and other issues and the general accounts of the HSE next Thursday, 2 April. We have indicated to the HSE that because of the number of items on the agenda the meeting may last a full day.

No. 3B.1 is correspondence, dated Monday, 23 February 2015, from Mr. Seamus Carroll regarding moneys owed for works carried out at Ennis General Hospital. The committee has come across a number of these cases - Deputy Deasy referred to one such case - in relation to the payment of contractors and subcontractors. This case involves Glenbeigh Construction which I understand is a firm that procures many public capital projects. It appears that this small firm is losing out. The State should not facilitate this. The committee will again write to the HSE to ask it to review the case to see if steps could be taken which would result in the contractor being paid. This is an issue across Departments where contracts are made available and something needs to be done to protect the small firms and individuals who end up doing this work in order that issue will not continue to arise. The committee will write to the Department about it and will raise it again at next week's meeting.

No. 3B.2 is correspondence, dated Tuesday, 3 March 2015, received from the HSE on the payment of allowances at St. James's Hospital. The committee can discuss this issue next week with the HSE and will forward the correspondence to the Department of Education and Skills and the HEA to ensure salaries should not be paid to public servants for lecturing.

No. 3B.3 is correspondence received from Ms Susan Gray, chairperson of PARC, the road safety group. It concerns the recording of information by court clerks on drivers who are disqualified but who do not have their licences endorsed. The correspondence is to be noted. This matter was raised when we discussed the issue of penalty points. We have made a recommendation which is being considered by the criminal justice working group, from which we should receive an update. I propose that the committee request the secretariat to write to the group or the Minister to request an update on the matter.

No. 3B.4 is correspondence, dated Thursday, 5 March 2015, received from Mr. Seán Ó Foghlú, Secretary General, Department of Education and Skills. It concerns thereview of spousal travel arrangements in FÁS in the period 2002 to 2008. The correspondence is to be noted and published. I suggest the committee write to the Department and SOLAS to find out how it is planned to recoup the moneys owed. A considerable amount of almost €30,000 is involved and little progress has been made to date in collecting the money owed.