Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 21 January 2016

Public Accounts Committee

Business of Committee

10:00 am

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

Is that agreed? Agreed. I should mention, regarding the Fannin case, the matter relevant to Mr. Cantwell, the North Meath Community Development Association and the general correspondence we have had regarding CIT, WIT and the other third level colleges, that the file on each one should be sent to the Taoiseach for information purposes. Before an election is called, the House will be discussing the make-up and chairmanship of committees and their work in terms of the reform that is being put forward by the Government. The four cases I have mentioned give an insight into how the State does not work for the citizen at times. The response from the Departments must be brought to the attention of the Taoiseach and the Government, so they are clear about how the committees function and how often we are frustrated in our attempts to get recognition for problems that individuals and organisations face when dealing with the State.

Sometimes the ingredient that is missing in all of this is a common-sense approach, an approach whereby the State can recognise the wrong it has inflicted or brought about in a particular case and can rectify it without it costing the State a fortune. In the Fannin case, significant moneys have been paid out by the State. When dealing with the office of the Chief State Solicitor and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, we were told that a better approach can be put in place in respect of how the State deals with legal matters and getting better value for money and better outcomes in each case. These four, particularly the first three, highlight the issues that individuals face. Even in the case of the universities, we have dealt with Waterford Institute of Technology and the case of Mr. Byrne, how we feel about it and how wrong was done in that case as well. It might be helpful for the understanding of those who are creating the legislation dealing with reform to be informed about these matters, to assist in prevention rather than what is happening at present, which is throwing good money after bad in the defence of some of these cases. We have agreed on all of that so can we agree to forward those files, by way of information, to the Taoiseach's office? We will return to the item on the HSE.

There is a last item of correspondence. No. 3B.11 is correspondence received from Mr. Lar Bradshaw regarding the Committee of Public Accounts report on the Dublin Docklands Development Authority. The correspondence is to be noted. Mr. Bradshaw has raised concerns about the committee's report on the DDDA which dealt with the purchase of the Glass Bottle site. A briefing note has been circulated to members and with the agreement of the committee a reply to Mr. Bradshaw will issue. Perhaps the committee will agree to, first, a comprehensive reply being issued to Mr. Bradshaw along the lines contained in the note; second, that we revise the report to correct the typographical errors; and, third, that we include, as a new appendix, his letter and the reply of the committee. Members have a further note on that detailing the background and so forth. Is that agreed? Agreed.

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