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

This is a matter that the committee needs to be on top of. Is that agreed? Agreed.

That concludes our consideration of our correspondence. We will move on to our work programme. Members have been circulated with a draft work programme. This is a discussion document and it is displayed on the members' screens. As the Dáil is in recess next week, we will not have a meeting. The next meeting, therefore, will be on 21 March. We will be meeting representatives of An Garda Síochána in relation to the 2022 appropriation account for Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána. Representatives from the Department of Justice also have been invited to attend.

There will then be a two-week recess for Easter, which falls early this year. Our first meeting after that recess will be on 11 April and will be with representatives of the University of Limerick, UL, in respect of its 2020 financial statements, governance and associated due diligence at the university, the university's purchase of a site in Limerick city in 2019, namely, the former Dunnes Stores site and the purchase of 20 houses in Rhebogue by the university for student accommodation. These have been flagged as areas of interest. If members wish to raise any other potential areas of interest, I ask them to flag them up at an early opportunity with the secretariat to ensure they can be added to the agenda and discussed with the representatives of the university when they come in.

On 18 April, we will meet officials from the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in relation to the 2022 appropriation account for Vote 40 - Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. International protection accommodation has been flagged as an area of interest. Again, I ask members to let the secretariat know if other items of interest may need to be added. I think, however, that the accommodation aspect is the main focus of the committee now. If members do have a proposal to raise something else, I ask them to feel free to do so.

On 25 April, it is proposed we reschedule our engagement with Inland Fisheries Ireland, IFI, in relation to its 2022 financial statements. We are awaiting confirmation of this meeting. As soon as the secretariat has that confirmation, the information will be circulated.

It is then proposed to meet with the National Transport Authority on 2 May in relation to its financial statements for 2022. BusConnects, the purchase of buses for companies providing public transport and the provision of bus shelters and bus stops have been flagged as areas of interest.

On 9 May, it is proposed that we invite the Office of Public Works to appear before the committee in respect of Vote 13 - Office of Public Works. Again, members will have issues in this regard. A great deal comes under the remit of this organisation, including flood defence schemes, along with the usual historical matters the organisation would have had.

On 23 May, it is proposed to meet the Department of Defence regarding chapter 12 of the Comptroller and Auditor General's annual report in relation to stock management in the Defence Forces. During this mandate, we have never had representatives of the Department of Defence before us and there have been significant changes in the Defence Forces and more significant changes are to come. It is timely, therefore, that we have a meeting scheduled with the Department.

I apologise because I skipped over a date. On 16 May, it is proposed to schedule a meeting with the Department of Education on Vote 26 - Education. For that meeting, I propose we examine issues around the transfer of properties from the religious orders, school building programmes and any other issues the members might have. A few issues have already been flagged in this regard.