Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The main issue is that we have to contact the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, which just noted our items but did not accept any of our recommendations. Most of the other Departments accepted the vast majority of everything that we recommended and we are following up on the implementation of those recommendations. That completes our consideration of the largest item of correspondence.

The next item of correspondence is No. 1703, from the CEO of the Local Government Management Agency, LGMA, on a request from the committee for a copy of a report arising from a value for money review of Irish public bodies. The report is subject to a non-disclosure agreement between the LGMA, Irish Public Bodies, IPB, insurance and PricewaterhouseCoopers. The CEO has written to both bodies to request their consent for LGMA to release the report and awaits a response. The secretariat of this committee will keep an eye on this matter and we will update the committee on the current position in December. We note and publish that. I think we have mentioned this matter in public session before.

No. 1725 is from the Secretary General of the Department of Education and Skills regarding the structural assessments carried out in schools constructed by Western Building Systems. We agreed to note and publish this item and to request a briefing from the Department when we meet them in the New Year. When the Department of Education and Skills appears before use we will raise this matter with its representatives. We will note and publish the document that we had here last week.

No. 1731 is from the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, dated 19 November 2018. This is the signed performance delivery agreement between the Department and Galway 2020. We noted an unsigned version of this document at last week's meeting so we note and publish this now.

No. 1737 is from Ms Jackie Maguire, chairperson of the County and City Management Association, dated 20 November 2018, in relation to the committee's request for a representative to attend a meeting on housing. The association has provided some information on housing but has declined our request to attend. We have already requested the association to review an earlier decision. The association states it will provide information and assistance to the Accounting Officer, that is, the Secretary General of the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, who is the accountable person to the Committee of Public Accounts. I believe that members are very disappointed that senior public servants in local authorities, who are at the front line when it comes to dealing with the housing crisis, have decided not to make themselves available, on a voluntary basis, to assist the Committee of Public Accounts in its examination of matters pertaining to housing. We note and publish it. We asked for advice and assistance and never suggested that those concerned were within the remit of, or accountable to, the Committee of Public Accounts. We stressed that attendance was voluntary. I am very disappointed that senior public servants chose not to attend. We will return to the issue because we will have a second meeting to discuss the housing issue early in the new year.

I call Deputy Cullinane.