John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Turning to No. 1, are the minutes of the meetings of 15 and 16 January 2014 agreed?

Eoghan Murphy (Dublin South East, Fine Gael)
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I wish to raise a matter relating to correspondence at a previous meeting. For the record, it is No. 3A.4 from Mr. Paul Maloney on the Dublin Docklands Development Authority, DDDA. When it attended our hearings, one of the issues that we considered related to the credit card. It is paragraph 8 in the documentation. However, it now appears that he did not have a credit card. He did not have access to the records for almost five years. If we wished to send them to him for comment, he would be pleased to reply. We should follow up this matter of credit card expenses with correspondence.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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That is fine. Does any matter arise from the minutes of the meetings on 15 and 16 January? No.

No. 2 relates to the note the clerk issued to members yesterday regarding the National Gallery. I invite him to outline the issues involved.

Clerk to the Committee:

In a nutshell, when we examined the Chapter on the National Gallery, it included a payment of €40,000 in removal expenses to the gallery's director. Following the meeting, we sought papers from the three bodies concerned. The key points are that, in August, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform approved €15,000 as an appropriate amount for removal expenses. In November, the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht wrote to the gallery agreeing to sanction €20,000. By the time the National Gallery wrote to the individual concerned with the offer, the amount had increased to €40,000. There is a conflict in the papers. I suggest that we refer this note to the three bodies and ask them for a comment for next week. After that, we can include the matter in a report.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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We were to get further information from the National Gallery.

Clerk to the Committee:

We got it from all three.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Did we get all of the information?

Clerk to the Committee:

Yes. They sent us their papers.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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Is that agreed? Agreed.

Turning to correspondence received since our meeting on 16 January 2014, No. 3A covers correspondence from Accounting Officers and Ministers. No. 3A.1 is correspondence dated 15 January 2014 from Ms Deirdre McDonnell, principal officer at the Department of Education and Skills, in response to an issue of public procurement contracts by the small to medium-sized enterprise, SME, sector raised by Deputy McDonald in correspondence dated 20 November 2013. This is to be noted. We will ask for a note on the issue raised from the Accounting Officer of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. He will be before us on 3 April. Is that okay?

Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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Yes.

John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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No. 3A.2 is dated 23 December 2013 from Dr. Ambrose McLoughlin, Secretary General of the Department of Health re further information requested at our meeting of 19 December. This is to be noted and published. Some of the issues relate to the CRC and will be considered when we receive the special report.
No. 3B covers individual correspondence. No. 3B.1 is dated 10 January 2014 from Mr. Jackie Dunne, 59 Glenview Park, Tallaght re misappropriation of public funds by the National Transport Authority, NTA. This is to be noted and a copy forwarded to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport for a note on the issues raised.
No. 3B.2 relates to correspondence received on 15, 16, 17 and 19 January 2014 from Mr. Robert Tonney re a public meeting in Westport, County Mayo. This is to be noted. Mr. Tonney has invited members to attend a meeting he is organising in Westport on 3 March. Members can make direct contact with him if they wish to attend.
No. 3B.3 is dated 10 and 17 January 2014 from Mr. William Treacy re lack of transparency in the Committee of Public Accounts and Horse Racing Ireland. This is to be noted.
No. 3B.4 was received on 6 January 2014 from Mr. Edward Stevenson re the hepatitis C tribunal. This is to be noted. The clerk will write a note on the issues involved and circulate it to members.
No. 3B.5 is dated 20 January 2014 from Mr. Bernard Purcell, editor of the Irish Worldre our audit of Irish charities in the UK. This is to be noted. A reply will issue to Mr. Purcell setting out the position of the committee.
No. 3B.6 is dated 14 January 2014 from the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation re a reply to correspondence from Mr. Frank Russell. This is to be noted and forwarded to Mr. Russell.
No. 3C covers documents relating to today's meeting. No. 3C.1 is correspondence received on 16 January 2014 from Mr. Martin Callinan, Commissioner of An Garda Síochána, re briefing papers for matters to be considered today. This is to be noted and published.
No. 3C.2 is correspondence received 17 January 2014 from Mr. Maurice McCabe re penalty point hearings. This is to be noted.
No. 3C.3 was received on 22 January 2014 from Mr. Martin Callinan, Commissioner of An Garda Síochána, re his opening statement.
No. 3C.4 was received on 22 January 2014 from the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality re documentation received from Mr. John Wilson on the termination of penalty points. This is to be noted. The information relates to the issues before us today and the previous documentation from Mr. Wilson and Mr. McCabe. Mr. McCabe has been notified of the decision of our meeting last night and has been asked to take legal advice and decide whether he wants to appear before us next Thursday, which will be a matter for the committee. He has indicated that he will write to the clerk in that regard.
No. 4 covers reports, statements and accounts received since our meeting of 16 January. They are listed from Nos. 4.1 to 4.6. Regarding No. 4.5 on the 2012 annual report and accounts of the environment fund, there is a clear audit opinion, but attention is drawn to note No. 1, which discloses that a private sector operator of landfill sites went into receivership in 2012 owing landfill levies of €4.6 million to the fund. We will examine this matter under the Vote of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government. Is that agreed? Agreed.
Our work programme is on screen. Arising from decisions made at last night's meeting, it will be amended to facilitate the hearing with the Garda whistleblower.
Does any other business arise? Can we agree Thursday's meeting? Pending final arrangements with the whistleblower, the committee will deal with the 2012 annual report and appropriation accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General on Vote 13: Office of Public Works, Chapter 6 - land swap arrangements in the provision of affordable houses. Is that agreed? Agreed.