Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

To be very clear, we are going to deal with the work programme shortly and will definitely discuss that aspect as part of it. The correspondence is noted and will be published. We have decided on the appropriate action to be taken.

Item No. 1990, correspondence received from the Committee on Budgetary Oversight, and item No. 1991, correspondence received from the Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach, are noted, as is item No. 1984, correspondence received from the Chief Procurement Officer.

Item No. 1985 is correspondence received from Mr. Robert Watt, Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, providing an update on the review by the OECD of valuing capital assets and moving to accrual accounting. We will note and publish the correspondence. In addition to it, there is an attachment, item No. 1985(2)B that deals with the report on employer contributions under the single public service pension scheme which some people will find interesting. Now that the public service has moved to the single public service pension scheme there are issues as to whether some State bodies are included in the scheme. The report confirms that relevant authorities - confirmed as being authorities mainly financed directly or indirectly from the Central Fund - do not have to make employer PRSI contributions. The report lists various bodies in the schedule, Appendix No. 1, which we will publish. Appendix No. 2 deals with 24 bodies which have been confirmed as mainly self-financing but which are liable for the making of single scheme employer contributions. The 24 bodies include the National Milk Agency, the Personal Injuries Assessment Board and the National Standards Authority of Ireland. The Comptroller and Auditor General reported that they should have been making contributions since the Act was passed in 2013. Some of the bodies have made provision for the contributions, but the last paragraph on page 4 is disconcerting. It reads:

In total, 20 bodies have agreed to remit arrears in respect of prior years. However, there are four public service bodies that did not provide an employer contribution for pre-existing public service pension schemes, but are deemed liable for employer contributions under the Single Scheme. These bodies did not set aside amounts to meet the Single Scheme employer contributions. These are the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), the Dental Council and the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAl). Issues arising in respect of the payment of arrears of employer contributions by these bodies are currently under consideration.

The committee will ask that the issue be dealt with and finalised in the current year. Will the Comptroller and Auditor General like to comment on it?