Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We will deal with the chapter on overall funding on 8 March. We will alert the Department to send a detailed briefing note to us on this topic well in advance of that so that we can be well armed with information when the issue is raised.

The next correspondence is No. 1046 from an individual dated 9 January 2018 regarding an alleged co-ordinated sabotage of a research programme focused on developing a comprehensive blueprint for the delivery of acute hospital health care in Ireland. We have received earlier correspondence from this individual, with whom the Department of Health has also been in direct contact. The essential matter appears to be related to policy and not within our remit. I propose that we write to the individual explaining this and that the committee's consideration of the matter is now closed. Is that agreed? Agreed. To be straight up with members, I met this man at my constituency clinic last summer. I was not able to progress the issue because I had difficulty with it. Essentially, it is a health policy issue, so our committee does not have a role. We will write to him with that response.

Next are Nos. 1048(i) and 1048(ii), received from Ms Laura Burke, director general of the Environmental Protection Agency, dated 24 January 2018, providing a response to our request for an explanatory note on an item of correspondence received by us from the Irish Environmental Forum. The correspondence from the EPA refers to a report by the European Environment Agency in 2011 as well as other matters, including the review of the EPA in 2010. The EPA has responded directly to the individual. It attached in our correspondence a letter that it sent to the then Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht on 2 May 2013 regarding the same issue raised by the same individual. If an issue arises, it is for that-----