Are the minutes of the meeting of 1 December agreed? Agreed. The only matter arising concerns the draft terms of reference of the proposed financial collapse inquiry which have been outlined in general terms and sent to be legal proofed. I propose that we meet next Tuesday or Wednesday for an hour to discuss them. We must check to see when a room will be free and ask the legal adviser to attend. However, we should have the meeting earlier rather than later in the week.
Business of Committee
Will the Chairman, please, give members advance notice?
I will do so as quickly as I can.
I refer to correspondence received since the meeting on Thursday, 1 December 2011. No. 4.1 is correspondence received on 5 December 2011 from Mr. Robert Watt, Secretary General, Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, containing an opening statement and updated information on matters scheduled. That is to be noted and published.
No. 4.2 is correspondence received on 22 September from the Office of the Revenue Commissioners providing a note previously requested by the committee on whether changes in VAT laws in 2002 had any impact on the Dublin Waterworld VAT liability. This is to be noted and published. We will revisit Campus Stadium Ireland and this correspondence will be useful for that meeting.
No. 4.3. is correspondence, dated 16 November 2011, from Mr. Noel Wardick, former head of international department, Irish Red Cross, forwarding a letter sent to the Minister for Justice and Equality and Defence, concerning parliamentary questions regarding the Irish Red Cross. This is to be noted and published, with the correspondence to be forwarded to the Department of Defence and the Irish Red Cross for information. The Irish Red Cross will be before the committee in January and, therefore, any issues can be raised with the Secretary General at that meeting.
No. 4.4 is correspondence, dated 14 October 2011, from Mr. Paddy Geraghty regarding staff retirements from the public service, which is to be to be noted and published and forwarded to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for a note on the issues raised.
No. 4.5 is correspondence, dated 20 November 2011, from Mr. Rob Northall regarding unanswered correspondence with the Minister for Education and Skills. This is to be noted and forwarded to the Department of Education and Skills for a note on the matter raised.
No. 4.6 is correspondence, dated 25 November 2011, from Councillor Philip Cantwell, Trim Town Council, regarding the Pensions Board. This is to be noted and forwarded to the Pensions Board and the Pensions Ombudsman for a note on the matters raised.
No. 4.7 is correspondence, dated 28 November 2011, from Councillor Barry Nevin, Wicklow County Council, regarding a compulsory purchase order on lands at Three Trout Charlesland, Greystones. This is to be noted and published.
The previous time we received correspondence about this from Deputy Anne Ferris, the Chairman referred the matter to the Secretary General of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and put her on notice that we would like to discuss the broader issues surrounding CPOs when she attended. Will the Chairman forward this to her as a reminder?
I can do that. I will also forward this to the Department for a note on the matters raised. We will have the combined information and the Deputy can raise the issue at the meeting with the Secretary General.
No. 4.8 is correspondence, dated 25 November 2011, from Mr. Tom O'Mahony, Secretary General, Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, to be noted and published.
No. 4.9 is correspondence, dated 2 December 2011, from Mr. John Murphy, Secretary General, Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, regarding correspondence previously forwarded by the committee regarding alleged corruption in the IDA and Enterprise Ireland. This is to be noted and published. A copy of the correspondence will issue to Mr. Russell, the original complainant.
I refer to reports, statements and accounts received since the meeting on 1 December 2011, which are all to be noted. Is that agreed? Agreed.
What is the filing deadline for VEC accounts?
Mr. John Buckley
I would have to check. All those accounts were certified by me around the end of October. They are all within a batch of days in October.
So it is nine or ten months after the year end.
Mr. John Buckley
Yes.
The agreed 2012 work programme has been slightly amended to take account of the availability of Accounting Officers. It is on screen now. We may change the Dublin Docklands Development Authority. The Comptroller and Auditor General will have a report on that and rather than have the meeting in February, we might hold it later, depending on when the report is cleared. That date will, therefore, be affected. The work programme is indicative and we can change it as we go along.
There are no matters under any other business.
The agenda for Thursday, 15 December 2011 is chapter 37, SKILL programme (resumed), of the 2009 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and chapter 4, partnership arrangements in the health service, of the 2010 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General. We will be in contact about the earlier meeting next week as soon as we have it set up.