Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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That would be helpful. The point made is well made. While there is a detailed list of what compensation was paid for, it is always interesting to see the legal breakdown and the associated legal costs quantified.

I propose the clerk seeks information from Mr. McCarthy on the wording of the request to the Department on the ratio of legal fees.

The next item is correspondence No. 591B from the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach, dated 17 May 2021. It is addressed to that committee and is from the Top Level Appointments Committee, TLAC, declining the Joint Committee’s invitation to TLAC to attend a meeting of the joint committee tomorrow, 26 May.

The invitation concerns the agreement between this committee and the joint committee on the examination of the processes and procedures for the determination and review of senior executives’ remuneration in the public service. The catalyst for this examination was the recent significant increase in the remuneration for the post of Secretary General of the Department of Health.

We also have correspondence before us today, No. 594B, from the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, also declining the joint committee’s invitation to appear before it on this matter.

However, I understand that the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform has now agreed to appear before the joint committee on 16 June and that the Secretary General of the Department of An Taoiseach will appear before the committee on 2 June.

The joint committee is awaiting a reply from the Secretary General of the Department of Health who has also been invited to attend the meeting on 2 June. The joint committee is also awaiting a response from the Taoiseach's office as to when he will be available to appear before it on this matter. As per our agreement with the joint committee, four members of this committee will participate in the meetings on this topic.

At our meeting last week, we agreed to write to the finance committee to convey our dissatisfaction with the fact that TLAC had declined the joint committee’s request. However, I understand the joint committee has issued another invitation to TLAC to appear before it on 17 June. On that basis, it is not proposed to write to the joint committee on this matter. It is proposed to note and publish this item.

I spoke to the Cathaoirleach of the finance committee about this. He confirmed it had requested TLAC to come before it on 17 June. In its correspondence, TLAC stated its remit is to recommended candidates to Ministers and the Government for the most senior positions but that it does not have a role in the remuneration, benefits and conditions. It also stated it has no involvement in or knowledge of the processes or procedures by which remuneration, conditions or benefits are determined.

Given what has happened in this case, and as one of the four members of this committee who can attend joint meetings with the finance committee, I feel it is important TLAC appears before us.