Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Is that agreed? The committee agrees to that. It is definitely agreed. We note and publish that and will follow up on the request outlined by Deputy Cullinane. The next item of correspondence is No. 2151B from the Minister for Finance and for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Donohoe, dated 9 May 2019. It is the minute from the Minister in respect of our periodic report No. 4, which was published in December. There were 29 conclusions and recommendations in our report. The Minister has provided a detailed response across 26 pages. I suggest we take time to study that response in detail because it is part of our work to examine the Minister's response to our recommendations. We need to take a little bit of time. I propose that we note and publish this but hold over discussion until our next meeting. Is that agreed? Agreed. There is quite a lot in it.

The next item of correspondence is No. 2152B from Mr. Ray Mitchell, assistant national director of Health Service Executive, dated 9 May 2019, providing information requested by the committee with regard to the national children's hospital and, particularly, the role of PwC as consultant at different stages of the project. We will discuss this in further detail when we meet with the hospital board, the HSE and the Department of Health. I propose that we note and publish this but, in the interests of balance, I want to read one paragraph of this letter into the public record because people will be aware that, as Chairman of the committee, I expressed concern regarding the fact that PwC had earlier involvement in the process and that the Department then brought it back to carry out the cost escalation report. In the interest of balance and fairness, I will put some of the response on the record rather than noting it and people not being aware of it. The response from the HSE----