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

I thank the Deputy.

No. 1211C is correspondence from me requesting the committee to write to the Department of Health in relation to the now abandoned secondment or redeployment, whichever it is, of the Chief Medical Officer to Trinity College Dublin. In the letter I set out that the committee would write to the Department of Health to request further information on the proposed appointment or secondment of Dr. Tony Holohan to Trinity College and that the information would include how the decision was made, who made the decision, who was involved in the decision-making, what was the expected salary and expenses and what were the total expenses in terms of offices and any secretarial backup or anything else. It would also include the total cost involved for the Department over the period of five years and what official processes and guidelines the Department has transfers and secondments. Since the matter became one of public interest, the issue of processes and guidelines to which the Department operates is crucial. I am not clear about it and I do not know whether anybody else on the committee is clear about it. It is important that we do this. If the committee agrees we will request it from the Department of Health. Is that agreed? Agreed. The Department will come before the committee in the near future and that will also provide an opportunity.

No other items of correspondence have been flagged for consideration.

With regard to our work programme, the following engagements are confirmed for May. We will have the Department of Finance on 5 May, University of Limerick on 12 May, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on 19 May and, as I mentioned, the Department of Health on 26 May. I will set out some proposals for June and then open the floor to members. As 2 June falls in a non-sitting week, the next available date is 9 June. I propose that we schedule a meeting with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth on that date. Is that agreed? Agreed.