Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We move on to correspondence No. 2131B from Dr. Donal McManus, chief executive officer of the Irish Council for Social Housing, dated 15 April, providing a breakdown requested by the committee of all tenancies. The information provided refers to 29,803 housing units offered by approved housing bodies, including a clarification of the length of the tenancies, the number of tenants with tenancy for life status, and those on four-year, six-year and ten-year tenancies and so on. This information will inform our consideration in regard to housing. I would like time to digest this very interesting information and therefore propose that we hold it over for discussion. Is that agreed? Agreed.

No. 2137B is correspondence from Mr. Aidan O'Driscoll, Secretary General of the Department of Justice and Equality, dated 25 April, providing information requested by the committee following our recent meeting. It is a long and detailed letter. Is it agreed to note and publish it? Agreed.

No. 2138B is correspondence from Ms Rachel Downes, CEO of the Residential Institutional Statutory Fund, Caranua, dated 25 April, providing an update requested by the committee on the current financial position of that organisation. I have not had time to read the update, so I propose that we hold it over and come back to it. Is that agreed? Agreed.

No. 2142B, dated 30 April, is correspondence from Mr. Niall Cody, chairman of the Revenue Commissioners, responding to a request from the committee for information on final agreements regarding cases that were appealed and now closed. Mr. Cody states that Revenue cannot provide the level of detail we requested. Is it agreed to note and publish the correspondence? Agreed.

No. 2144B, dated 26 April, is correspondence from Chief Superintendent Dermot Mahon of An Garda Síochána, responding to a request from the committee for information in regard to financial matters in Templemore, the tax treatment of the living allowances for students at the Garda College and an update on moneys owed from the neighbouring golf club in Templemore. I propose that we note and publish the correspondence. Is that agreed? Agreed.

No. 2145B is correspondence, dated 1 May, from Mr. Robert Watt, Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, providing a response to the committee in regard to the Department's guidance on business cases for capital expenditure projects, a note regarding a public sector efficiency recommendation on the property revaluation programme ICT system, and an update on the evaluation of the National Shared Services Office. Is it agreed that we note and publish the correspondence? Agreed.

Moving on to category C, correspondence from and relating to private individuals and any other correspondence, No. 2119C, dated 27 February, is from the Louth Environmental Group asking the committee to make inquiries into a public infrastructure project at Bellurgan, Dundalk, County Louth.

The group believes the works undertaken were not fit for purpose and involved excessive costs. I propose to request an information note from the Office of Public Works on the project. Is that agreed? Agreed.

The second item in this category is No. 2120C, a letter from Deputy Mattie McGrath, dated 16 April 2019, requesting the committee to meet a lecturer from Maynooth University regarding the proposed new Court of Appeal. This matter is a policy issue and not within the remit of the committee. I propose to forward it to the Joint Committee on Justice and Equality for any action it may deem appropriate. Is that agreed? Agreed.