Mr. Michael McCarthy:

We fell behind on scrutiny visits because of Covid restrictions. We did some online but clearly we could not get enough done as we would normally so that is our priority. Another significant priority in the short term is meeting the audit committees and widening and expanding on the points made earlier about coalescing with the elected members and involving them in the process and deliberations on the commission.

On the review of the regional assembly corporate plans, our working group on local government governance and efficiency produced report No. 43 in November 2021. It was the first time that we went out and looked at the three regional assemblies and their corporate plans. It is in our work programme. It was an issue we had not got to before that but it is on our agenda and is published on the website. That will evolve but it is something we were not in a position to give sufficient time to before. It will always be an evolving process. I want to point to the provision in the Act again.

Returning to Deputy Gould's point on the derelict sites levy, which is a significant issue for the members of this committee and for members of local authorities, if the relevant Minister feels there is a role for us in that and delegates that function to us, we will be more than happy to take that on board and devote some time to it.