John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)

It was agreed that we will write to the Department seeking further information in this regard.

No. R0220 from the Department of Education and Youth provides an update on Whitehall College of Further Education. It was agreed to note and publish that correspondence.

No. R0221 from the Department of the Taoiseach relates to the delaying of the 2024 financial accounts of the National Transport Authority, NTA. It was agreed to note and publish that correspondence.

Next is No. R0222, correspondence received from An Garda Síochána providing a response to matters raised at our meeting of 26 June 2025. A number of members spoke about this correspondence relating to our earlier meeting. I raised two areas on which we need clarification and further information.

The first concerns an issue Deputy McAuliffe raised when the former Commissioner was before the committee relating to the storage of the considerable sum of money the Garda holds as part of its ongoing criminal investigations. A specific question was asked of the Commissioner at the time as to whether he could provide information on whether any investigations are going on or have gone on, by the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC, or internally within the Garda, in relation to moneys being misappropriated or disappearing from storage. We did not get a direct response to that question. We got a comprehensive reply as to how the cash is stored but not the specific information requested. We need to write to the new Commissioner to get clarity on that.

The second issue stemmed from a question Deputy Bennett raised with the Commissioner regarding aeroplanes flying through Irish airspace carrying munitions of war, particularly to facilitate the genocide being perpetrated in Gaza by the Israeli forces. We got a written reply from the former Commissioner outlining what the procedure is by the Department of Transport and its roles and responsibilities in this regard. Following the attendance of the former Commissioner at the committee, it came to light in information revealed by The Ditch that it had made a number of formal complaints, providing specific flight information, including flight details and numbers, to the Garda Commissioner. That correspondence was acknowledged by the Commissioner's office. I asked that we write to the Commissioner seeking clarity as to what course of action was taken by the Garda on the specific information provided to his office and whether it led to an investigation. We did not get specific information in response. I propose that we write to the new Commissioner asking for a specific response as to what happened to the detailed and comprehensive information that was provided regarding those flight numbers and whether a PULSE number was assigned and a criminal investigation initiated on foot of that information. We should write to the Garda regarding those issues to try to get some accurate responses. Is that agreed? Agreed.

We move on to No. R0223, correspondence from IDA Ireland providing an update on the sale of a building by Louth and Meath Education and Training Board.

It was agreed to note and publish this correspondence.

Regarding No. R0224 from the Department of Transport in relation to the late laying of the 2024 financial statements of Transport Infrastructure Ireland, it was agreed to note and publish that correspondence.

The committee has also agreed to note and publish the following correspondence: No. R0225 from the National Treatment Purchase Fund in response to matters raised at the meeting of 17 July; No. R0231 from the Department of Social Protection in relation to the committee's queries on the auto-enrolment pension scheme; No. R0238 from the Atlantic Technological University in response to the committee's queries regarding non-compliant procurement; and No. R0239 from Technological University Dublin in response to the committee's queries on non-compliant procurement.

No. R0240 is correspondence from the University of Galway in relation to matters raised by the committee at the meeting of 10 July. Following consideration of the university's financial statements, the committee agreed to write to the university and ask that its foundation's financial statements be included with the University of Galway statements. The university has written to the committee and confirmed that results of the Galway University Foundation are included in Galway university's 2024 consolidated financial statements and that these are available on the foundation's website and via the Companies Registration Office, CRO. The committee acknowledges this confirmation and, indeed, welcomes these details.

The committee has also agreed to note and publish the following items-----