Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Item No. 1 is the minutes of the meeting of 18 October.Are the minutes agreed? Agreed. The minutes of the meetings of 23 and 24 October will be dealt with at the meeting of 1 November 2012.

Item No. 2 is matters arising from the minutes. A note has been prepared by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General on the accountability of State funding for CIE.

Work is continuing on finalising the report on the Health Service Executive, HSE, but our current schedule of meetings is delaying matters. We have asked the HSE for an update on the cost of drugs. Does anyone want to raise any item on that schedule?

Item No. 3A is correspondence from Accounting Officers. No. 3A.1 is correspondence dated 11 October 2012 from Dr. Ruaidhrí Neavyn, President, Waterford Institute of Technology, re forwarding documentation requested at the committee meetings of 27 September and 4 October 2012. That is to be noted and published.

Item No. 3A.2 is correspondence dated 12 October 2012 from Mr. Robert Watt, Secretary General, Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, deferred from the meeting of 18 October 2012, re forwarding the minute of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in response to the Committee of Public Accounts report on VAT costs on the National Aquatic Centre. That is to be noted. Can we defer consideration of this item until we have dealt with the allowances issue?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Yes.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Item No. 3B is correspondence alleging waste of public funds. No. 3B.1 is correspondence received on 18 October 2012 from an anonymous source re public sector allowances paid to third level lecturers to mark examination papers. That is to be noted, and a note is to be sought on this from the Department.

Item No. 3B.2 is correspondence dated 21 October 2012 from Mr. Daniel O'Mahonyre provision of education for children with autism. That is to be noted. We are getting a huge volume of papers from Mr. O'Mahony, who is questioning Government policy. The substantive issue he is raising is outside our remit and, therefore, I propose that it be forwarded to the Committee on Education and Social Protection.

Item No. B.3 is correspondence dated 20 October 2012 from Deputy Mary Lou McDonald re Dublin Fire Brigade. That is to be noted and published. The issue is outside our remit, however, so we will write to the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and ask that it review this to ensure that value for money is being achieved.

Item No. 3C is individual correspondence. Item No. 3C.1 is correspondence received on 18 October 2012 from Mr. Hugh Rance, Bantry, County Cork, re County Cork VEC. That is to be noted and forwarded to the Department of Education and Skills for a direct reply.

Item No. 3C.2 is correspondence received on 22 October 2012 from Mr. P.J. Fitzpatrick, Chairman, Implementation Body, re providing information requested by the committee at its meeting of 11 October 2012. That is to be noted and published. Item No. 3C.3 is correspondence dated 22 October 2012 from Mr. Colin Menton, Secretary, Implementation Body, re forwarding correspondence between Grant Thornton and the Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. That is to be noted and published.

Item No. 3D is documents relating to the committee meeting of today, 25 October 2012. Item No. 3D.1 is correspondence dated 12 October 2012 from Mr. Brian Purcell, Secretary General, Department of Justice and Equality, re forwarding details regarding payment of allowances in the Department of Justice and Equality and the Irish Prison Service. That is to be noted. Item No. 3D.2 is correspondence received on 22 October 2012 from the Courts Service re forwarding details regarding judicial expenses and allowances. That is to be noted. Item No. 3D.3 is correspondence received on 24 October 2012 from the Irish Prison Service re forwarding details regarding expenses and allowances. That is to be noted. Item No. 3D.4 is correspondence received on 24 October 2012 from the Prison Officers Association re opening statement. That is to be noted and published. Item No. 3D.5 is correspondence received on 24 October 2012 from Mr. Brian Purcell, Secretary General, Department of Justice and Equality, re opening statement. That is to be noted and published.We will publish these items when the opening statements have been made.

Item No. 4 is reports, statements and accounts received since the meeting of 18 October 2012. Item No. 4.1 is the Citizens Information Boardannual report 2011. Item No. 4.2 is InterTradeIrelandannual accounts 2011. Item No. 4.3 is the Commission for Aviation Regulation financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2011. Item No. 4.4 is Labour Relations Commission annual report 2011. Item No. 4.5 is County Wexford Vocational Education Committee annual financial statement for the year ended 31 December 2011.

Item No. 5 is the work programme. The work programme is now on screen. As members will see, we will meet next week when we will meet ICTU and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. We will deal with ICTU from 2 p.m. to 3.30 p.m. and thereafter deal with the local authority allowances. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Item No. 6 is any other business. Do members wish to raise any other business?

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Will the Chairman confirm that we are sitting next Thursday also?

Clerk to the Committee:

Yes. Thursday is the discussion with the Garda Síochána.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Deputy is down as the second speaker.

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

There are only the two of us here but would members prefer to have the meeting on a Thursday morning rather than an afternoon?

Clerk to the Committee:

There is a problem in terms of availability of the Commissioner. The time provided is the earliest on which he is available.

Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Is the agenda in respect of the meeting at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, 31 October 2012 agreed? Agreed.