Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We are joined by the Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr. Seamus McCarthy, who is a permanent witness. He is accompanied by Mr. Malachy Quinn, senior auditor.

Apologies have been received from Deputies Josepha Madigan and Catherine Murphy.

The first item on the agenda is the minutes of the meeting of 19 January. Are they agreed to? Agreed.

The next item is correspondence received since the last meeting. Item No. 268A is correspondence received from Mr. Tom Hussey at the Department of Defence about today's meeting. Item No. 269A is also correspondence from him containing further briefing material for today's meeting. Item No. 273A is correspondence received from Mr. Maurice Quinn, Secretary General, Department of Defence, enclosing his opening statement.

The next item on the agenda is correspondence received from private individuals and other correspondence. Item No. 257C is correspondence received from Dr. Matt Crowe, director, Environmental Protection Agency, in response to our correspondence on the Local Authority Waters and Communities Office and issues related to salmon stocks. The correspondence states the office is funded by the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, not the EPA. As such, we will have to write to that Department directly, as suggested by the EPA. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Item No. 263 is correspondence received from Monaghan County Council requesting the committee to investigate EirGrid expenditure. Concerns have been raised elsewhere about EirGrid. Does the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General audit its accounts? Is there direct funding by the Exchequer of EirGrid's capital expenditure programme?