Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 29 March 2018

Public Accounts Committee

Business of Committee

9:00 am

Photo of Seán FlemingSeán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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We previously invited the Secretaries General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform and the Department of the Taoiseach along with the head of the unit to appear before us. They are Accounting Officers. That has to happen. The Taoiseach will appear before the Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach at 10 a.m. to deal with the Estimates. No doubt, our colleagues on that committee will raise the strategic communications unit at that meeting. As a result of the vote in the Dáil last Thursday, where the Dáil passed a motion requesting the Taoiseach to attend at this committee to discuss it, a letter has subsequently gone to the Taoiseach in my name as Chairman arising from the motion of the Dáil asking him to attend. That is where the committee stands. We received this information note today. There is an announcement. I think the unit is to be closed down by July. We will see what happens in the other committee today. As we stand, the invitation has gone to the Taoiseach directly from this committee. To date, we have not received a response. That is where we are. Is that okay? We will see how our colleagues on the other committee get on during the course of the day and look at the outcome of that. It would probably be better if we held off for an hour or two until we see how that progresses.