Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We will send out those letters in relation to 2015 and we will ask for a response from the chairmen immediately after their next monthly meeting. Is that okay?

The next item is category C, which is correspondence that relates to private individuals. No. 769C is correspondence dated 25 September 2017 from Deputy Bríd Smith requesting the committee to consider inviting representatives of the National Transport Authority to a meeting of the committee regarding bus routes following a tendering process. It appears the contract remains to be awarded. I propose that we refer the matter to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport. Is that reasonable? I think that is reasonable. If that is okay, we will refer it to the transport committee.

No. 770C is correspondence dated 25 September 2017 from an individual requesting the committee follow-up on a matter raised in relation to what has been referred to as a SIPTU-FÁS slush fund. Recently we have written to the Garda fraud office for an update on this matter but we have yet to receive a reply.

The secretariat has followed up on the matter. I propose that we write to the individual informing him of this and reminding him that it is not within the committee's remit to examine criminal matters. This is an ongoing issue that the Garda is examining. It came through us, so we are asking the Garda for an update on whether there has been a prosecution. However, it is not our job to investigate potential criminal matters. We will notify the correspondent of this.

Next is No. 771C, correspondence from an individual regarding a property deal relating to NAMA. The individual believes that a sweetheart deal was done and wants to know what we can do about it. The clerk has had other correspondence from the individual. I propose that we respond to the individual and say that, while we do not investigate individual cases normally, we can seek a response from NAMA to the details if he sends them to us. He has given us no details of what he is talking about. He just refers to a sweetheart deal. Unless we receive specific information, we will take the matter no further and we will tell him that.

No. 776C, correspondence dated 18 September 2017 from an individual, relates to Dublin City Council's entry into an insurance contract to a value of €5 million more than its previous contract. The individual questions the value for money of this. I propose that we write to the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government for a response regarding Dublin City Council and its procurement process specifically, but also regarding the insurance contract procurement process followed by other local authorities throughout the country. We all know of claims against local authorities. Many have been paying these claims themselves while others have had some insurance cover. Dublin City Council seems to have entered into a contract, the value for money of which someone has queried. We need to get a picture of this topic across all local authorities from the Department. We will write to it.