Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Item 133C is a letter from the HSE regarding Meath disability service and an individual who wrote to us regarding housing arrangements. The response is comprehensive. We will forward this to the individual concerned. I propose we also inform him that as his complaints have been considered through the proper for a, including the Office of the Ombudsman, the committee considers the matter closed. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Item 134C is an e-mail from a professor of finance offering assistance to the committee in its examination of the Comptroller and Auditor General's Special Report 94. Can we note that for the moment and return to in private session? Agreed.

Item 135C is correspondence received from the Deputy Chair of the Committee of Finance of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Claire Hanna, MLA, acknowledging the proposal of the two committees working together on examining the sale of Project Eagle by NAMA. We note this and publish it, but we will discuss it in private session shortly. It relates to the arrangements for our meetings.

Items 136C(i) and (ii) deal with correspondence received from an individual regarding alleged financial abuse in the Brothers of Charity in Cork. The individual was sent a response we received from the HSE on this matter and has decided not to pursue it further. Can we note the correspondence? Is that agreed? Agreed.

Item 137C is an email from an individual who is raising concerns about wages and management in Caranua. I propose that we write to Caranua forwarding a redacted version and requesting a response. Is that agreed? Agreed. As mentioned earlier, Caranua will be on our work programme for the new year.

Item 138C is correspondence received from an individual keeping the committee up to date with an ongoing case with the Residential Tenancies Board. The board will be furnishing the committee with a report in the new year so I suggest we note this correspondence while we wait for that report. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Item 139C is an e-mail received from an individual alleging non-compliance with company law and the Chartered Accountants Regulatory Board by financial institutions and the sale of assets to NAMA which were not in the ownership of the institution but rather the Central Bank of Ireland. This matter is quite complex and I propose we refer it to the Central Bank for a detailed explanatory note. We will come back and consider the matter then. It is a highly technical matter and we want a report on it.

Item 140C is correspondence received from Eilish Finan. We have dealt with this and will come back to it in private session. She is a NAMA director.

Item 141C is a letter received from Mr. Paul Quinn, chief procurement officer in the Office of Government Procurement. This is a reply to correspondence we received regarding issues relating to the evaluation process in respect of the mini-tenders for the Office of Government Procurement framework. Mr Quinn outlines that there is ongoing litigation on this case and as such does not want to discuss this specific case but has offered to send the committee an overall description of the tender process framework. I suggest we write to him to accept that offer. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Item 142C is an e-mail also from Mr. Paul Quinn regarding the tendering process for residential disability services. Mr. Quinn states the Office of Government Procurement would not be involved in such a process and it is a matter for the HSE. We are awaiting a response from the HSE on this matter. We will note the correspondence in the meantime. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Items 143C(i) to (iv) refer to correspondence received from an individual regarding the misappropriation of moneys at Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim education and training boards, ETBs. We have already received other correspondence from this individual on this matter.

We have written to the Department for a response. I suggest we forward the latest correspondence to the Department. We will consider the response when we receive it from the Department.

Items 145 to 147C relate to correspondence received from an individual that includes copies of correspondence relating to alleged loss of money to the taxpayer. The matters mentioned are unsubstantiated. The individual has telephoned the secretariat several times to discuss similar matters. While we have no wish to be unhelpful to a member of the public, I propose that we can only note the correspondence. I further propose that we direct the clerk to write to the individual informing him of same, stating that the Committee of Public Accounts does not believe it can meaningfully address the concerns and will return any future correspondence and asking him not to contact the office again. We have had extensive engagement from this particular individual. People maintain that what he is saying is unsubstantiated. We cannot follow up on issues that are unsubstantiated.