John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

No apologies have been received. Everyone is very welcome. I remind all those in attendance to ensure that their mobile phones are on silent mode or switched off.

Before we proceed, I have a few housekeeping matters to go through. I remind members of the constitutional requirement that in order to participate in public meetings they must be physically present within the confines of the Leinster House complex. Members of the committee attending remotely must do so from within the precincts of Leinster House.

Members are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice and ruling of the Cathaoirleach to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or make charges against a person outside the Houses or an official by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. Members are also reminded of the provisions within Standing Order 226 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. We are joined by the Comptroller and Auditor General, Mr. Seamus McCarthy, who is a permanent witness to the committee. He is accompanied by Ms Paula O’Connor, deputy director of audit at the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General.

The public business before us is as follows: accounts and financial statements and correspondence. We will then go into private session to examine housekeeping matters. At 10.30 a.m. we will begin our public session to engage with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, the Arts Council and the National Gallery of Ireland.

I would like to announce that Deputy Paul McAuliffe was elected as Leas-Chathaoirleach at the last committee meeting. I congratulate Paul again.

No sets of accounts and financial statements were laid between 19 and 23 May 2025.

We now move to correspondence, as previously agreed, items that were not flagged for discussion for this meeting will be dealt with in accordance with the proposed actions that have been circulated, and decisions taken by the committee on correspondence are recorded in the minutes of the committee’s meetings and published on the committee’s webpage.

The first category under which items have been flagged is category B – correspondence from Accounting Officers or Ministers and follow-up to PAC meetings. The first correspondence is No. R0004B from Ms Madeline Delaney, chief executive, Charities Regulator, dated 13 November 2024, and provides follow-up information requested by the committee at the meeting of 17 October 2024. Deputy Farrelly flagged this item for discussion.