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

The accounts and financial statements will be published as part of our minutes. As usual, we will request an explanation for any significant non-compliant procurement over €500,000 or delays in laying the accounts before the Houses of the Oireachtas.

We will move on to No. 3, correspondence. As previously agreed, items that are not flagged for discussion in this meeting will continue to be dealt with in accordance with the proposed actions that have been circulated and decisions taken by the committee in regard to correspondence are recorded in the minutes of the committee's meetings and published on the committee's web page. We held over a number of items from last week and will address those first.

The first category of correspondence under which members have flagged matters for discussion is B, correspondence from Accounting Officers and-or Ministers and follow-up to meetings of the Committee of Public Accounts. The first item is No. 751 from Mr. Maurice Buckley, chairman of the OPW, dated 4 August 2021, providing information requested by the committee regarding the ongoing discussions between the OPW and the landlord of Miesian Plaza which is now the headquarters of the Department of Health. It concerns the OPW's failure to address the mismeasurement of floor space in the contract for the lease of Miesian Plaza, 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. The OPW has been in negotiations with the landlord since 2018. Previous correspondence from the OPW, No. 667B, stated that a meeting took place on 3 June, but no further information was supplied other than to say that both parties are committed to continuing the process.

We 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. In response, the OPW stated that it is intended to meet the landlord again in August and the only matter for discussion was "The resolution of the measurements issue", but that the discussions are sensitive and all meetings are held on a confidential basis and without prejudice. The OPW states that it will keep the committee informed of progress and we requested quarterly updates on this matter in a report on our engagement with the OPW. It is proposed to note and flag that correspondence. Is that agreed? Agreed. Deputies Imelda Munster and Catherine Murphy flagged this.