Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There is a national maternity hospital to be built as well. In the correspondence from the committee to the Department, we asked for a copy of the report prior to the meeting on 13 July. We agreed that at our last meeting. If that was not possible, we asked for an up-to-date report at that meeting regarding the matters outlined by the Department such as the final cost and a timeframe for completion and an update in terms of where matters stand regarding the hundreds of claims the Department told us about when it appeared before us on 9 February. I think the number was almost 700. This is where matters stand. Is it agreed that we will continue to proceed with 13 July as the date and will continue to look for those answers regarding those matters - preferably with a copy of the full report from the Department because members were reasonable a few weeks back? Members said we deferred bringing in the Department at that point because of the cyber attack and other matters and to give the Department the space to do it. However, the requirement of this committee is that it happens before the summer recess. I take that as being agreed. Agreed.

No. 636 B from Mr. Dave Walsh, chairperson of An Bord Pleanála, dated 3 June 2021, is correspondence providing further information requested by the committee arising from our meeting on 13 May 2021. At our meeting on 15 June 2021, we agreed to note and publish the item and to request further details regarding judicial review related legal costs incurred by An Bord Pleanála broken down by costs recovered and incurred irrespective of whether the review processes found in favour of An Bord Pleanála; a detailed explanation as to why costs are not being awarded against unsuccessful applicants for judicial review of An Bord Pleanála decisions; details of legal costs relating to cases that have been decided, including who is responsible for costs, and any lessons learned; and a further detailed note on those judicial reviews where An Bord Pleanála was found not to have given sufficient reasons for its decisions. Deputies Catherine Murphy and Imelda Munster flagged this. Deputy Murphy is absent so I invite Deputy Munster to speak on this.