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

A number of matters of serious concern arose in 2022 with regard to An Bord Pleanála's operation. There have been well publicised reviews and reports. The statement outlines the status of these reviews. The only other issue of note is the penalties incurred by the board in 2021, 2022 and 2023 relating to delays. We may bring An Bord Pleanála before the committee again. Does any member wish to comment or ask a question on the accounts and financial statements? Are the accounts and financial statements agreed? Agreed. As usual, the listing of accounts and financial statements will be published as part of our minutes.

Moving to correspondence, as previously agreed, items that were not flagged for discussion for this meeting will continue to be dealt with in accordance with the proposed actions that have been circulated, and decisions taken by the committee in relation to correspondence are recorded in the minutes of the committee's meetings and published on the committee's web page.

We have one item of correspondence for discussion. No. R2168C is from Ms Breda O'Keeffe and dated 6 October. It sets out Ms O'Keeffe's reasons for declining the invitation to attend today's meeting with RTÉ. Ms O'Keeffe attended a meeting of the Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media in July 2023 and also provided a written statement to this committee. It is important to state that she has not appeared before the Committee of Public Accounts. Ms O'Keeffe states in the correspondence that as she has no more to add to her evidence to the Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media on the Grant Thornton review and she respectfully declines the invitation. Does any member wish to address this correspondence? As no one does, that concludes our consideration of correspondence.

Members have been circulated with a draft work programme discussion document, which is displayed on screen. Next week we will engage with Children's Health Ireland on its 2021 financial statements and the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board on its latest financial statements.

On 26 October, we will engage with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage on its 2022 appropriation accounts. The delivery of social housing by local authorities and the funding and governance of Uisce Éireann have been flagged as specific areas of interest and representatives of Uisce Éireann and the Commission for Regulation of Utilities have been requested to attend with the Department. I have a suggestion for this meeting and I would like to hear the opinions of members. I do not think it will work if we try to deal with housing delivery and Uisce Éireann and the Commission for Regulation of Utilities on one day. To have satisfactory discussions we need to split this into two sessions.