Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
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We have that correspondence and I hope we will have the outcome of those two reports very soon in the new year. This concludes our consideration of correspondence and we move on to the work programme.

Members have been circulated with the draft work programme and we had a fairly good discussion on it last week. On 18 January 2024, we will meet with the Department of Social Protection to examine the 2022 appropriation account for Vote 37, the Social Insurance Fund 2022, the relevant chapters from the Comptroller and Auditor General’s annual report, and the misclassification of workers. We will also examine the topic of the misclassification of workers when we meet with the Revenue Commissioners on 25 January to examine the 2022 appropriation account for Vote 9 and the relevant chapters from the Comptroller and Auditor General’s annual report.

Last week it was agreed to reschedule a meeting with the Department of Health on the 2022 appropriation account for Vote 38 and chapter 18 of the Comptroller and Auditor General’s annual report to 1 February 2024. It was also agreed to invite representatives of the HSE to this meeting. I hope we will have Mr. Watt, the Secretary General, present on that date. I note he has recovered as he was in attendance last Saturday at the AGM of the Football Association of Ireland. It is to be welcomed that he is back in good health again.

It was also agreed to defer a meeting with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Sport Ireland and the Football Association of Ireland to 8 February 2024.

On 15 February, the committee has agreed to meet with An Garda Síochána and GSOC on the 2022 appropriation account for Vote 20 – Garda Síochána, and GSOC’s 2022 financial statements. The timelines for the processing and completion of complaints by GSOC and the resourcing of GSOC have been flagged as areas of interest. This came up at previous meetings with regard to its ability and capacity with budgets and staff.

It was also agreed to meet with the Department of Justice on 22 February. Is it agreed to add both Vote 24 – Justice, and Vote 21 – Prisons to the agenda for this meeting? Agreed.

Do members wish to add anything to the work programme or flag any areas of interest?