Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 28 November 2019

Public Accounts Committee

Business of Committee

9:00 am

Photo of Seán FlemingSeán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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We are joined by the Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr. Seamus McCarthy, as a permanent witness to the committee. He is joined by Ms Mairead Leyden, senior auditor. No apologies have been received in respect of today's meeting.

Before we get into the normal business of the meeting, I want to say that members of the committee received an email at 8.27 a.m. providing the Committee of Public Accounts with an eight page report from Mr. Peter Finnegan, Clerk of the Dáil and the Secretary General, on the purchase of the Komori printing press and related matters. I just received it in the last few moments and I propose that we go into private session for 20 minutes so members of the committee can read the report. We will then resume in public session to deal with our normal business.

Photo of David CullinaneDavid Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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Just so it is very clear, if we go into private session, it must be solely to read the report. Any discussion on the report must be in public session, from my perspective.

Photo of Seán FlemingSeán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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Absolutely.

Photo of Marc MacSharryMarc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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Hear, hear.

Photo of Seán FlemingSeán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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That is 100% agreed. The sole purpose of going into private session is to spend a few minutes reading the report which we have just received.

Photo of Catherine ConnollyCatherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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We will be spending the rest of the day with the Revenue Commissioners. Are those witnesses waiting?

Photo of Seán FlemingSeán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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They will be here at approximately 10 a.m.

Photo of Catherine ConnollyCatherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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That is fine. Would it be more sensible to-----

Photo of Seán FlemingSeán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail)
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We will see how we get on. I hope to have the witnesses before us by 10.30 a.m. That is my intention.

The committee went into private session at 9.15 a.m. and resumed in public session at 9.40 a.m.