David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Yes, but primarily the Minister is responsible to the sectoral committees. The Accounting Officer, who is the Secretary General, is accountable to the Committee of Public Accounts. We are dealing with issues to do with process failures, systems failures and procedural failures, all of which fall under the remit of the Committee of Public Accounts. There are times of course when they also fall under the remit of sectoral committees but let the Minister come before those committees with his or her officials and deal with them. We have to do our job as well. I do not think we should accept that.

I wish to make another point. I am not criticising you, Chairman, but I learned in the media at the weekend that there was an invitation or offer being made to other committees to sit with us to discuss some of these issues. I believe that was a mistake because it devalues the Committee of Public Accounts in some respects.

This committee has a separate function from the sectoral committees. I understand the context in which the Chairman made that offer. He was trying to be helpful. However, it would have been better if that had been discussed here. That is not a criticism, because I know the Chairman was trying to do the right thing.