Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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The committee is now in public session. We are joined by the Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr. Seamus McCarthy, who is a permanent witness to this committee. He is accompanied by Mr. Mark Brady, deputy director of audit.

Apologies have been received from Deputies Shane Cassells and Marc MacSharry.

The minutes of the meetings of 15 and 16 February 2017 have been circulated. Are the minutes agreed? Agreed. I do not think any particular matter arises from the minutes. If there is we can discuss the matter under any other business.

The next item is correspondence for today's meeting. No. 297A is a briefing document from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport for today’s meeting. Is it agreed that we note and publish it? Agreed.

No. 312A is an opening statement from Mr. Graham Doyle, Secretary General, Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. We will note and publish that.

Category B correspondence is from Accounting Officers and-or Ministers in follow-up to previous meetings. The first item, since the last meeting, is correspondence dated 6 February 2017 from Dr. Fergal Lynch, Secretary General, Department of Children and Youth Affairs. This is a follow-up to the appearance of the Department and Tusla before the committee on 19 January 2017. We will note and publish that. People are free to make comments once the correspondence is published.

No. 300B is correspondence dated 16 February 2017 from Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl, An Ceann Comhairle, regarding the staff resources and the PAC secretariat. As we dealt with this matter in private session yesterday we can note the matter.

No. 301B is correspondence dated 15 February 2017 from Mr. Seán Ó Foghlú, Secretary General, Department of Education and Skills regarding the production of financial statements at the National College of Art and Design. The correspondence states that the college is working with the Comptroller and Auditor General and that while there are ongoing compliance issues the Department is confident that these issues will be rectified in the near future. I am sure through the natural course of the examination of the accounts and statements laid weekly we can keep an eye out for this. We will watch and monitor the matter as we go along.

No. 302B is correspondence dated 15 February 2017 from Mr. Graham Doyle, Secretary General, Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport regarding the presentation of the 2012 and 2013 financial statements for The Gathering Project 2013 Limited. They were laid on the 2 February and were noted by the committee at last week's meeting. We will note the correspondence.

No. 303B is correspondence dated 17 February 2017 from Mr. Tony O’Brien, Director General of the HSE. The letter recommends that before the Department and the HSE are before the Committee on 9 March 2017, to discuss the fair deal scheme, that the committee visit a public residential community facility. Would any member like to comment on the invitation that is worthy of consideration? We have received a letter from Mr. Tony O’Brien who has suggested that when considering this matter we should look at some of the State nursing homes and see how a good one operates. I note that he has recommended we visit a place in Mountmellick, County Laois. Perhaps it is a coincidence but the place is located in my area. Maybe it is not a coincidence. I do not know. Mr. O'Brien has a point. We must get a proper feeling of what is provided in HSE institutions versus what is provided in nursing homes.

We know HSE institutions have a lot of people that the nursing homes do not cater for. If we are evaluating them strictly on a cost basis and on value for money we have to take into account the quality of the service being provided. I think that is what is behind that particular letter.