Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 7 November 2019

Public Accounts Committee

Business of Committee

9:00 am

Photo of Seán FlemingSeán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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Let us get the information first, given that there have been changes to the scheme.

The work programme is the same as it was last week. We have representatives of the Courts Service scheduled to appear on 14 November. On 21 November we have representatives of the Charities Regulator before us. We have agreed to have representatives of the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment before us that afternoon, rather than hold a special meeting on the Tuesday evening. Those sessions might not take too long and we might put a time limit on both. On 28 October we will have representatives of the Revenue Commissioners before us in what will be a very important meeting. On 5 December - a big day - we will have representatives of the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board, the Department of Health and Children's Health Ireland before us. We will have a separate session with representatives of the Health Service Executive to deal with the development of primary care services. We have asked for updates because the representatives of the HSE has already been here to discuss its financial statements. Therefore, it will be a second round and the HSE is asking what specifically we want to discuss on that occasion. It would be helpful if we did not just go back over what we did before the summer. We have mentioned a few items, for example, measures to reduce the incidence of cases involving clinical negligence that may lead to State claims, matters related to CervicalCheck, the oversight of section 38 and section 39 bodies and home help services, including the changes made during the year. I also want to receive an update on private ambulance contracts which have been in place for years and not renewed. I have asked parliamentary questions about this issue. They went out to tender and there was a two-year process, but I believe that process has collapsed. I do not know what has happened. Any member will be able to raise an issue in order that representatives of the HSE will be prepared on the day.