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

It is proposed to note and publish the correspondence. We will also forward it to the health committee and include the question from Deputy Carthy as to whether, in that committee's opinion, this committee is required to examine the matter further. Is that agreed? Agreed.

The next business is the work programme. The Dáil is not scheduled to sit next week. That brings us to 4 November, when we are planning to engage with RTÉ on its receipt of Exchequer funding, which is now the responsibility of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. A representative from the Department will be in attendance.

When we agreed our work programme to the end of the year last week, I mentioned that we might need to reschedule some engagements depending on availability. The secretariat received a response from the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to advise that it is scheduled for oral parliamentary questions on 11 November, which is the date on which we wanted departmental officials to attend. Representatives of the Department of Transport were scheduled for 25 November but have agreed to swap with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media on 11 November. The secretariat has requested that the officials from the Department of Transport make available to the committee the information we have requested on MetroLink, BusConnects, the DART and the strategic rail fleet review no later than 5 November, to ensure we have it before the meeting on 11 November. I note that there is information flagged up regarding the search and rescue service, which is included in the invitation to the meeting.

Accordingly, the schedule, which is reflected in the work programme circulated for today's meeting, is revised as follows: 4 November, Exchequer funding of RTÉ; 11 November, Department of Transport; 18 November, Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment; 25 November, Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media; 2 December, Office of the Revenue Commissioners; 9 December, Department of Social Protection; and 16 December, Department of Health. At our meeting last week, we agreed to revisit the work programme for the new year in late November or early December. I suggest that we do so at the end of November rather than letting it go on too long. The list of engagements to the end of the year has been circulated. Does any member wish to raise any other matter relating to the work programme? As no matters have been raised, that concludes our consideration of the work programme.

Finally, under any other business, I note that we have work to do on a number of reports, which we will discuss in private session. Do members want to raise any other issues? As there are no other matters to discuss, we will, as agreed, go into private session, after which we will adjourn until 4 November, when we will engage with representatives of RTÉ on Exchequer funding.