David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Correspondence 985B (i) and (ii) is dated 13 December 2017. It is a copy of a letter from the Department of Finance to the IBRC special liquidators. Again, I propose that we note it and discuss all of that correspondence when we get to that part of the meeting. Is that agreed? Agreed.

We now move on to category C, correspondence from and related to private individuals and any other correspondence.

Item No. 964C of 4 December 2017 relates to an incident in the Irish Prison Service in 1988. The individual was dismissed from the service in 1989, the committee requested the Minister for Justice to respond to previous correspondence from this individual and when the reply from the Minister, reference 923C, was considered on 24 November 2017 it was agreed to send a reply to the individual. The Minister in his correspondence encouraged the individual to make information that he had in regard to the murder of a prison officer available to the Garda. The individual has been in touch again with the secretariat and today’s item is additional information in relation to his general situation. While we are sympathetic to the individual’s case, we have sought and got a clear response from the Minister which we have passed on to the individual. It is not within our remit to take the matter of an individual’s dismissal from his employment further. I propose that we write to the individual accordingly. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Correspondence item No. 968C is from Ms Orla O'Connor, National Women's Council of Ireland, dated 5 December 2017 in response to a request from the committee for information regarding its public funding. Ms O’Connor states that the audited accounts, which are audited by independent auditors, are approved by the membership every year at the AGM. The matter which an individual had raised with the committee was whether it was permissible for the National Women’s Council to use public funds to fund a pro-choice campaign. The correspondence from Ms O'Connor does not directly address that issue and I suggest we write to her for clarification. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Correspondence item No. 970C from Mr. Padraig Corkery, communications and public affairs manager, NAMA, dated 5 December 2017, regards further information requested by the committee in relation to a hotel in Kinsale, County Cork. I propose to send this reply to the original correspondent and to advise the correspondent that the committee’s consideration of the matter is closed. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Correspondence item 978C(i) and (ii) is a copy of correspondence sent to Deputy Andrew Doyle, Minister of State, from an individual received on 8 December 2017 regarding public funding of the Irish Horse Welfare Trust. The secretariat had previously written to the Department of Agriculture on this and will follow the matter up. Can we note the correspondence? Noted.

Correspondence item No. 979C is from councillors Réada Cronin and Nicola Lawless, members of Kildare and Wicklow ETB, dated 24 November 2017 in relation to our meeting with Kildare and Wicklow ETB on 16 November 2017. They raise concerns about evidence given to the committee at the meeting. I propose to forward this correspondence to Dr. Richard Thorn and request him to address it in his briefing to the committee when we meet him in the new year and which we have put into our work programme.