Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We will begin in public session. I am joined by the Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr. Seamus McCarthy, as a permanent witness to the committee. He is joined by Mr. Mark Brady, deputy director of audit. Apologies have been received from Deputy Deering.

The next item on the agenda are the minutes of the meeting. I want to clear the minutes of the meetings we have had since the beginning of January, namely, the meeting of 17 January, the meeting in private session on the 22 January - those minutes are short - and the meeting of 24 January. Could we note, agree and publish those? Agreed.

Are there any matters arising? We will come to all the relevant items under the correspondence. First, I will deal with category A, briefing documents and opening statements in respect of today's meeting. No. 1898A is dated 29 January and is from the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board. It provides a number of briefing documents for today's meeting. We will note and publish them. Is that agreed? Agreed.

No. 1898A also concerns documentsfrom the Department of Health, dated 29 January 2019, and provides a briefing note for today's meeting.We will note and publish that. The opening statements from both organisations were received very late last night so hard copies are being distributed. For the record, we will note and publish both of those opening statements and the Comptroller and Auditor General's opening statement as well. The former documents came too late last night for circulation but we have them here today and they will be published this morning so people can see them.

Next, we will deal with category B, correspondence from Accounting Officers or Ministers and follow-up to previous Committee of Public Account meetings and other items for publishing. First is No. 1761B, which relates to legal advice in respect to NAMA. We will deal with that in private session later today.

No. 1795B is from the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, dated 11 December 2018, and it provides a briefing note on the national broadband plan and metropolitan area networks. We agreed to note and publish the correspondence at our meeting on 17 January 2019. I suggest we consider the document further in the meetings we will have on broadband. We have a special meeting coming up which many witnesses will attend. After that we will have to have a final review with the Department when we get assistance from the other witnesses who have voluntarily agreed to come before the committee. It is noted and published and we can consider them at the two subsequent meetings. There is no need to hold it over for today as it will be included at the next meeting.

No. 1816B is from Mr. Martin Whelan of the National Treasury Management Agency, dated 24 December 2018, and concerns the percentage of ownership by the State of the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, ISIF, in a company to which reference is made. We do not have the answer to that yet. We will note and publish the letter and wait for the response we sought. I hope to have it for next week. We have concluded that matter but we look forward to receiving the answer to the question we did ask for the next meeting.

No. 1851B is from Mr. Mark Griffin, Secretary General of the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, dated 16 January 2019, and provides detailed follow-up information requested by the committee. We published this very detailed, comprehensive document at our previous meeting. We said we could hold it over if somebody wanted to discuss a particular issue. I am sure there will be much interest in the document, even from outside the Committee of Public Accounts. I touched on a few issues at the previous meeting but members might wish to raise other matter.