Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

No. 1522 is from an individual on the insurance costs for local authorities. I raised this matter earlier as part of the previous discussion on the letter from the Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform regarding the value for money report carried out on the insurance costs of local authorities and the operation of the IPB. A report was published but it has not been circulated. We have insisted that we get a copy of that report. This correspondent, who has knowledge of the area and of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board had written a separate letter when he or she heard our conversation the last day, saying that he or she had sought a copy of that report, and it had gone as far as the Information Commissioner who found in the person's favour in 2017. IPB has applied to the High Court for a private hearing, which is listed for next month to prevent that report being issued. We are insisting that the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform issue that report. That somebody else wants to take a High Court action has nothing to do with us.

No. 1523 was sent to the Minister for Finance from an individual dated 15 August 2018 regarding the publishing of pension arrangements for the President. We note this but we will not discuss it.

No. 1527, dated 17 August, and No. 1543, dated 24 August 2018, requested the committee to investigate the GoSafe contract on a value for money basis. The person has offered to attend a meeting of the committee. We have previously made inquiries from the Department of Justice and Equality and An Garda Síochána on foot of a report submitted by the correspondent. The replies we received were forwarded to the individual. The individual has offered to meet the committee. While there appears to be some validity in the points made in the correspondence, the outsourcing of this service is a policy matter for the Government and it is, therefore, outside the remit of the committee. We have brought the matter as far as possible. I understand the Comptroller and Auditor General reported on this issue previously.