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

Both Deputies mentioned the importance of the industry. It gets in the region of €70 million a year from the public purse. There has been a long and winding road with this issue. I looked through my notes last night. Some €18 million was awarded for the integrity fund back in 2018. Twenty-five racetracks in the State were to start a programme of installing CCTV. An amount of €60,000 was allocated for CCTV systems at four tracks in 2018. Some €80,000 was then allocated in 2019. We were told in correspondence that the €60,000 was not spent and lapsed. The €80,000 was transferred and reallocated for licensing. The €80,000 comes back into play in 2018. That money was provided to install CCTV at four tracks. At this point, only one of the 25 tracks, Leopardstown, has CCTV. Members can tell me otherwise if I have that wrong.

On 4 May 2021, invitations were eventually published for tenders after we followed up on all of this earlier in the year.

The question is why did it take three years to get this far. Why were the four tracks not done in 2019? I do not know what the answer to that question is. When the €80,000 was first allocated in 2018, what happened there? Why was the original €60,000 in 2018 not used? It is a really long and twisty road the board has travelled with it. I ask that the clerk write back to it. I welcome that the agriculture committee is taking this issue up as well. Its members will pursue this vigorously. We should ask the IHRB to inform us of progress because it said in its last letter that the invitation for tenders was only published on 4 May. The closing date for submissions of tenders was 21 May. That has been extended, according to the letter, and the conclusion of the contract is August 2021. The IHRB goes on to say: "However, the number of tenders and the complexities of the submissions may impact on the above timelines." That indicates we may have further delays, so we should ask the board to be informed after that date on what progress has been made and has that process has been concluded. Is that agreed by the committee? Agreed. I thank members.

The next item is No. 667B from Mr. Maurice Buckley, chairperson of the Office of Public Works, OPW, dated 18 June 2021, providing information requested by the committee on the ongoing discussion between the OPW and the landlord of Miesian Plaza, now the headquarters of the Department of Health. It concerns the OPW's mismeasurement, or I suppose we could call it under-measuring, of the floor space which was flagged by the Comptroller and Auditor General and is expected to cost the taxpayer about €10 million during the lifetime of the lease. We addressed the matter in our report on our engagement on the OPW which we published in May. The OPW has been in negotiations with the landlord since 2018. According to this correspondence, a meeting took place on 3 June but no further information is supplied other than to say that both parties are committed to continuing the process. At our meeting on 29 June we agreed to hold over this item for consideration at today’s public meeting. We also agreed to request the agenda of the meeting referred to in the correspondence, the minutes and details of the matters discussed, including the outcome of the meeting, and the agenda for the next meeting and when it is scheduled to take place. Deputy Catherine Murphy flagged the Miesian Plaza item for discussion. Does she want to come in on it?