Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 28 June 2018

Public Accounts Committee

Business of Committee

9:00 am

Photo of Seán FlemingSeán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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I have made that proposal and agree with it. It will be in our autumn work programme, but we will also refer to it in our periodic report which we will issue in the meantime. We will note and publish No. 1408B.

Next is No. 1419B from Ms Katherine Licken, Secretary General of the Department of Culture, Heritage and Gaeltacht, about whether Foras na Gaeilge considered in its business case the purchase rather than rental of a building. The attached business case states that Foras na Gaeilge believed that this purchase would not have been supported by the sponsoring Department. We will note and publish this correspondence. If members wish to pursue the matter, they are free to do so.

Next is No. 1422B from Mr. Fergal Costello of the Department of Rural and Community Development, dated 22 June, providing information on a review of the Dormant Accounts Fund's disbursement and other matters. This will feed into our periodic report. We will note and publish it.

Next is No. 1423B from Ms Maria Browne, Chief State Solicitor, dated 22 June, providing information requested by the committee. The Comptroller and Auditor General's 2011 report made a recommendation regarding planning compliance. It related to the waste of €4 million of taxpayers' money on the Probation Service's office, which we are dealing with as part of our periodic review. The Office of the Chief State Solicitor did not accept the report, stating that it was bound to follow the Law Society's guidance on planning compliance. However, it has not communicated the difficulties that this presents with the Law Society and that contributed to the loss of €4 million in respect of the building on Wolfe Tone Street. There is a thread of emails relating to the 2011 report dating back over a period. The Office of the Chief State Solicitor says that, although it followed the Law Society's standard guidance, this is now an issue. We asked the office to take the matter up with the society, but there has been no communication between the two. The office has ignored the previous recommendation. Our views on how the Office of the Chief State Solicitor contributed to the loss of €4 million to the Irish taxpayer will be included in our report. We will be firm on this point in our report when drawing our conclusions in the coming week or so.

Next is category C, correspondence from private individuals. No. 1342C was held over from a previous meeting, as were Nos. 1355C (i) to (vi), inclusive, and 1362C from an individual, dated 24 May and regarding wards of court. This is a major issue. Can we hold it over again?