Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We will put the witnesses for next week on notice that we will raise this issue specifically.

No. 892C, dated 9 November 2017, is correspondence from Mr. John Pollock, project director, National Paediatric Hospital Development Board, providing an update, as requested by the committee, in regard to the National Children's Hospital. According to the update, the main children's hospital is due to open in 2022 and the overall cost is estimated to increase from €800 million to €983 million, due mainly to construction inflation rising from 3% to 9 % and a longer project timeframe than previously envisaged. May we note this? Noted. This is information many people will be interested in receiving.

No. 894C is correspondence dated 9 November 2017 from Mr. John McKeon, Secretary General of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, providing information on the JobPath service. We will note this for the time being. If members have any further questions, we can raise them at the meeting with the Department on 7 December 2017. May we note and publish that? Noted.

No. 899C is correspondence dated 10 November 2017 from Mr. Adrian O'Connor, senior manager, Citizens Information Board, in response to a request from the committee regarding proposed changes to the governance arrangements for the Money Advice and Budgeting Service. The correspondence states the witnesses are scheduled to attend a meeting of the Joint Committee on Employment Affairs and Social Protection on 23 November 2017 and are seeking an extension to provide the requested information until after that meeting. We will hold this over until after the meeting with the joint committee, which has already been scheduled. We agree to the extension and will seek information after the meeting with the joint committee.

That was the last item of correspondence. On the screen now are the financial statements received since the last meeting. A number of accounts were received. The first is from Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board, which has a clear audited opinion for the 2016 accounts. We note that.

The next concerns the National Tourism Development Authority, Fáilte Ireland. In respect of the 2016 accounts, there is a qualified opinion in regard to the superannuation schemes operated by the authority. We note that.

The next concerns Tourism Ireland, the North-South body that markets tourism for the island of Ireland. It has a clear audited opinion. Is it audited by both auditors?