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

I will now turn to items of individual correspondence. Correspondence dated 11 November 2015 was received from the HSE, which is a follow-up from our meeting on 22 October 2015. It relates to a payment to a bed and breakfast accommodation. It is noted that I raised this with the HSE and I wish to reject their response entirely. I could have obtained that information myself from the HSE. I had asked for the situation to be investigated, not that the HSE was to report what it deemed to be the facts of the case. The HSE has not addressed the matter. The function of the Committee for Public Accounts is to obtain further information but in reality this correspondence is just a report on what happened; it does not address or investigate the case. I reject the HSE's response to this committee and I intend to raise this again with the HSE.

The next item of individual correspondence was received from Ms Mary Farrell, dated 10 November 2015. It regards the Report on the Wards of Court. It is to be noted and the committee still awaits a reply to our report. The matter of the delay in replying to recommendations made by the committee can be taken up today with the Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.