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

That completes the items of correspondence. We will move on to section 4. Members have been circulated with a draft work programme discussion document, which is displayed on their screens. Next week, we will once more meet with representatives from RTÉ and the Secretary General of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media to resume examination of matters relating to the appropriation of public moneys to RTÉ and the expenditure, by RTÉ, of such moneys; and the commercial arrangements entered into by RTÉ and its presenters, including those underwritten by RTÉ, which have impacted on and relate to the expenditure of public moneys.

On 19 October, we will engage with Children’s Health Ireland regarding its 2021 financial statements and the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board with regard to its latest financial statements. We have requested that the Department of Health ensure that the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board's 2021 accounts are laid ahead of this meeting.

On 26 October, we will engage with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage regarding the Department’s 2022 appropriation account. The delivery of social housing by local authorities and the funding and governance of Uisce Éireann have been flagged as specific items and representatives of Uisce Éireann and the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, have also been requested to attend with the Department. I propose that we add the following chapters from the Comptroller and Auditor General’s Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2022 to the agenda for this meeting: chapter 3 - central government funding of local authorities; and chapter 4 - accountability for central funding of local authorities. Is that agreed? Agreed.

We have six free meeting slots then in November and December. On the basis of the Comptroller and Auditor General’s 2022 Report on the Accounts of the Public Services, which we got last Friday, the 2022 appropriation accounts and areas of interest to members, the secretariat has prepared a list of potential bodies for these meetings, which are now visible on screen. I will go through the list and then if members wish to comment they may do so. I propose that we agree the meetings of 9 November, 16 November and 23 November today in order that the secretariat can begin making preparations.

The following bodies are suggested for the upcoming engagements, in no particular order: the Department of Finance; the Office of the Revenue Commissioners; the Department of Social Protection; the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform; the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage; the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications; the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland; the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Skills; the Department of Foreign Affairs; the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; and the Office of Public Works. Obviously, the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform and the Department of Finance would generally be prioritised, particularly after the budget period. Therefore, I suggest that we try to get them in this side of Christmas. Perhaps we could bring in those two Departments in late November or early December.

In view of the Comptroller and Auditor General’s report and if there are no objections, I suggest we bring in the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland for one of the early meetings maybe on 9 November or 16 November. Representatives from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage are appearing before the committee on 26 October, so we will try to give them a gap of one month. We might try to bring them in on 23 November to give a four-week gap.