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

We can ask for a clarification in relation to the last sentence in which the Department leaves the matter open-ended and states that the option will be available to use the service by the third quarter of next year. It could be interpreted a number of ways. We can ask why there will be an option and not a uniform electronic system within the Department. We can also ask when the Department hopes to have the system finalised. Deputy Carthy referred to the spend on the postage of paper payslips. The spend on that was €10 million.

The next correspondence is No. 889B, from Mr. Mark Griffin, Secretary General of the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, dated 12 November 2021, providing information requested by the committee arising from our meeting with the Department on 14 October 2021. Before opening the floor for discussion, it is proposed to note and publish the correspondence except for page 1, which is provided to the committee on a confidential basis. The members will note the sensitivity around that because of the cyberattack. Is that agreed? Agreed. I ask that members honour that confidentiality because there are issues of public interest at stake. The correspondence has been flagged for discussion by Deputies Murphy, Carthy and Munster.