Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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Members are reminded of the provisions of Standing Order 218 that the committee shall refrain from inquiring into the merits of a policy or policies of the Government or a Minister of the Government or the merits of the objectives of such policies. Members also are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the House or an official either by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable.

The first group of correspondence for discussion is correspondence from Accounting Officers and-or Ministers and follow-up to meetings of the committee. Nos. 151B and 171B, from the Ceann Comhairle, dated 12 and 20 October, respectively, concern the leaving certificate calculated grades system, which we discussed at our meeting on Wednesday, 7 October. It is proposed to note it formally now.

On the basis of that correspondence we decided to write to the Committee on Procedure, and No. 171B is the response to our correspondence and concerns the wider issue of the committee’s orders of reference. In summary, the response does not accept this committee’s request for an extension of its remit by way of amendment to Standing Order 218. The response points to Standing Order 218(10) as the path for the committee to request an extension to its remit. Standing Order 218(10) provides for the Committee of Public Accounts to make a submission to the Committee on Procedure for an extension to its remit and to make the case that a specific examination does not have to take place in the context of the work of the Comptroller and Auditor General. The letter of the 12 October stated that a decision will issue within one week from receipt of any such submission. It is also proposed to note this item.

Deputy Catherine Murphy has raised this item of correspondence. I suggest that we put this to the test. A situation has arisen with the national children's hospital where the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform expressed doubts yesterday about the timeline for its completion. We are being told clearly that if we make a submission, it will be considered by the Committee on Procedure. While we do not agree with having to go through this route, we are left in a position where a major issue is happening. There is a public expectation that we can deal with it. We are being told that there could be delays in the national children's hospital and there is no information on the timeline. The Government and its representatives are expressing doubts that it can be delivered on time. There was substantial engagement with the previous Committee of Public Accounts and it is important that we be able to deal with this. The strictures being laid down to us might mean that we would have to deal with some minor or major matter from 2018 or 2019 but not the here and now where there is a major matter of public interest on the spending of public money which we need to be able to deal with. I suggest the committee makes a request to the Committee on Procedure that we be able to bring in the HSE and the chairperson of the board of the national children's hospital under this Standing Order, and that we use this method to see whether we can achieve that. I think it is very important.