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

There are two proposals. One is that a letter go to the Department, as outlined by Deputy Murphy. Is that agreed? Agreed. The other proposal is we write back to both councils, asking whether there are any tangible assets or physical assets of Galway 2020, and whether they are happy with how the project has proceeded so far. Is that agreed? Agreed.

The next item of correspondence is No. 661 and I propose we take it with No. 710. No. 661 is from the European Anti-Fraud Office, dated 17 June 2021, responding to our request regarding publication of the office’s previous correspondence to the committee. The proposed action is to note this item. It relates to our requests for information on the ongoing investigation into the so-called Cabra Accounts. We have a related item of correspondence from An Garda Síochána, No. 685, as well as correspondence from Deputy Marc MacSharry, No. 710, so I propose we take these together? Is that agreed? Agreed.

The response from An Garda Síochána acknowledges the ongoing investigation by the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC, and states that any comment on that investigation could be prejudicial to a possible criminal investigation. Correspondence No. 710C is from Deputy Marc MacSharry, dated 5 July 2021, enclosing correspondence from an individual, and it was forwarded to the clerk to the committee yesterday. It requests that the committee “consider and endorse” 23 questions and send them to GSOC. The correspondence concerns the aforementioned GSOC investigation, which GSOC has stated is a criminal investigation undertaken in the public interest.

While the previous Committee of Public Accounts published a report in 2017 on its examination of matters related to financial procedures at the Garda College in Templemore, and while GSOC is accountable to this committee in terms of its annual accounts, it is not clear how attempting to direct the GSOC investigation would assist our work or whether it would be in order for the committee to proceed as suggested in the correspondence. The committee only received the correspondence yesterday and it runs to 33 pages. The secretariat received the correspondence items at lunchtime yesterday, they were circulated around 4 p.m. yesterday afternoon, and the first sight I had of them was this morning - all 33 pages. I propose that the correspondence be considered by the committee next week. This will allow me, as Cathaoirleach, and other members of the committee time to consider its content.

Deputies MacSharry, Murphy and Carthy have flagged this issue for discussion. GSOC is clearly involved in investigating criminal matters and I ask members to be mindful of that in their comments. I call Deputy MacSharry.