Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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We are joined by the Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr. Seamus McCarthy, who is a permanent witness to the committee. He is joined by Ms Mary Henry, deputy director of audit.

We will hold over the minutes of the last meeting until the next meeting as I just have not had time to review them yet, and we will hold over matters arising.

There are three categories of correspondence. The first item concerns Nos. 1996Aand 1997from the Department of Education and Skills, dated 19 February 2019, which provide a briefing document and an opening statement for today's meeting. We will note and publish that. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Correspondence Nos. 1987 and 1995 are from Kildare Wicklow Education and Training Board, dated 15 February and 19 February, and provide a briefing document and an opening statement for today's meeting. We will note and publish these. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Correspondence Nos. 1978A and 1993 from the Irish Council for Social Housing, dated 14 February and 20 February, provide a briefing document and an opening statement for today's meeting. Is it agreed that we will note and publish these? Agreed.

Correspondence Nos. 1979 and 1994from the approved housing body interim regulatory committee, dated 15 February and 19 February, provide a briefing document and an opening statement. Is it agreed that we will note and publish these? Agreed.

We will move on to the B category of correspondence, which is from Accounting Officers and Ministers, and follow-up to previous meetings of the Committee of Public Accounts. The first item of correspondence is No. 1965 from Mr. Seán Ó Foghlú, Secretary General of the Department of Education and Skills on our meeting with Kildare Wicklow Education and Training Board today. The committee was made aware of this item at last week's meeting and we are formally noting it now. It is important to stress, and we have to be very conscious today when we have the ETB in, that the Thorn report and, I think, the report by the Comptroller and Auditor General have been referred to the Garda Síochána. Mr. Seán Ó Foghlú has made it very clear, and I will read one sentence:

Having regard to the ongoing investigation ... with An Garda Síochána and the Department's legal advice, at the planned meeting, we are in a position to provide the Committee with information and answers on matters in both Dr. Thorn and the C & AG reports, without providing a level of detail which could identify individuals or companies or their activities.

We are not going to compromise a Garda Síochána investigation here today, or any potential legal cases that could go from it. I think we all understand that but I have to just make that point clear. We will note and publish that.

The next correspondence is No. 1966 from Mr. Mark Griffin, Secretary General of the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, providing a copy of the Analysys Mason report on pricing and access arrangements for the metropolitan area network. We will note that was published the day before the last meeting. We are now noting this copy. We did discuss that particular report the last day so we are noting this. The Department already has published the actual report but we will publish the accompanying letter.