Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 1 December 2022

Public Accounts Committee

2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 37 - Social Protection - Social Insurance Fund 2021
Chapter 10: Regularity of social welfare payments
Chapter 11: The recovery of benefit and assistance payments following compensation awards
Chapter 14: Classification of workers for PRSI purposes

9:30 am

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

I welcome everyone to the meeting. No apologies have been received. If attending in the committee room, attendees are asked to exercise personal responsibility to protect themselves and others against the risk of contracting Covid-19. Members attending remotely must do so from within the precincts of Leinster House. This is due to the constitutional requirement that, to participate in public meetings, members must be physically present within the confines of the place where Parliament has chosen to sit.

The Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr. Seamus McCarthy, is a permanent witness to the committee and is accompanied this morning by Mr. Mitchell McIntyre, deputy director of audit at the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General.

This morning, we will engage with officials from the Department of Social Protection to examine the following matters. From the 2021 appropriation accounts for Vote 37 - Social Protection, the Social Insurance Fund 2021, and from the Comptroller and Auditor General's 2021 report on the accounts of public services, chapter 10, regularity of social welfare payments, chapter 11, the recovery of benefit and assistance payments following compensation awards, and chapter 14, classification of workers for PRSI purposes.

This morning, we are joined by the following officials from the Department of Social Protection: Mr. John McKeon, Secretary General; Ms Teresa Leonard, deputy Secretary General; Mr. Ciarán Lawler, assistant secretary, finance; Mr. Liam Daly, assistant secretary, control policy; and Ms Philomena McShane, chief accountant. We are also joined by Ms Jenny Connors, principal officer, and Mr. Cathal McDermott, assistant principal, from the relevant Vote section at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. The witnesses are all welcome. I remind all those in attendance to ensure their mobile phones are on silent mode or switched off.

I wish to explain some limitations to parliamentary privilege and the practice of the Houses as regards reference witnesses may make to other persons in their evidence. As the witnesses are within the precincts of Leinster House, they are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the presentations they make to committee. This means they have an absolute defence against any defamation action for anything they say at the meeting. However, witnesses are expected not to abuse that privilege and it is my duty, as Cathaoirleach, to ensure that privilege is not abused. Therefore, if their statements are potentially defamatory to an identifiable person or entity, I may direct witnesses to discontinue their remarks. It is imperative they comply with any such directions.

Members are reminded of the provisions in Standing Order 218 that the committee shall refrain from inquiring into the merits of a policy or policies of the Government, or a Minister of the Government, or the merits of the objectives of such policies. Members are also reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

I invite the Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr. Seamus McCarthy, to make his opening statement.

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