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 at the committee. He is joined by Ms Deirdre Quaid, deputy director of audit.

Apologies have been received from Deputy Deering.

The minutes of the meetings of 14 and 21 February have been circulated. Is it agreed that they be published? Agreed. Any matter arising will be dealt with in the course of the next topic.

There are three categories of correspondence, the first of which is category A, briefing documents and opening statements. The first items are Nos. 2010 and 2015, correspondence, dated 22 February 2019, received from the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, providing a briefing note and opening statement for today’s meeting. We will note and publish the correspondence. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Category B is correspondence received from Accounting Officers or Ministers, or both, as a follow-up to requests made at previous meetings of the committee. The first item is correspondence, dated 18 February 2019, received from Ms Rhonda Evans of the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board, providing the minutes of meetings of the finance and construction committee. They were circulated prior to last week’s meeting and I propose that we formally note them today. At our meeting on 14 February we requested the board to publish the minutes of its other meetings. I suggest it also publish these minutes. It is not for the committee to publish the minutes of meetings of the board. We will note the correspondence which was discussed at the previous meeting.

The next item of correspondence is No. 1999 received from Mr. Paul O'Toole, chief executive officer of the Higher Education Authority, HEA, in reply to the committee’s request for a report on the review of the relationship between Cork Institute of Technology and certain named companies and entities. Mr. O’Toole advises that a draft report is in the process of being finalised by Mazars consultants and that the HEA will consider the report when completed and revert to the committee at the earliest opportunity. We will note and publish the correspondence. The field work has been completed and a draft report is being worked on.

The next item of correspondence which is dated 20 February 2019 is No. 2000 received from Ms Elaine Sheridan, vice president for corporate affairs and finance at Waterford Institute of Technology, providing information requested by the committee following its recent meeting at which we considered Special Report No. 104 of the Comptroller and Auditor General - Waterford Institute of Technology - Development and Disposal of Intellectual Property in FeedHenry.