COMMITTEE OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS díospóireacht -
Thursday, 17 Jan 2013

Business of Committee

Chairman

Are the minutes of the meeting of 20 December 2012 agreed? Agreed. Are there any matters arising from the minutes? No.

On correspondence received since the meeting on Thursday, 20 December 2012, No. 3A is correspondence from Accounting Officers. Correspondence received on 5 December 2012, from Ms Geraldine Tallon, Secretary General of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, regarding note requested on the outcome of the review of the Local Government Audit Service and its possible merger with the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General. I note from the correspondence that decision was made prior to the report being published. We might ask Ms Tallon for a copy of that report from the group so that we can study the background to the decision or the work that it was undertaking. We will write to her in that regard.

Correspondence, dated 9 December 2012, from Mr. Andy Harkness, secretary and director of audit at the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General, regarding providing updated information on the accountability for State funding allocated to the CIE group of companies, is to be noted and published. The matter is relevant to next week's meeting with the National Transport Authority. Deputy Ross raised issues on that and we must make sure that he is aware of it.

No. 3A.3, correspondence dated 21 December 2012 from Mr. Seán Ó Foghlú, Secretary General of the Department of Education and Skills, providing an update to the committee regarding Waterford Institute of Technology, WIT, is to be noted an published. That correspondence relates to the inspector who was appointed to look at the companies involved with WIT. We must await the outcome of that report before we call back in WIT. The report is expected in the first quarter of this year. As soon as it is available to us-----

Deputy John Deasy

What has that do with the companies?

Chairman

The Department of Education and Skills appointed an inspector to look at some companies that were providing services to WIT. We were looking at the report from WIT on the expenditure of the president's office and we asked the Department of Education and Skills and those involved that we would meet again to finalise the report on that, but then the inspector was appointed. The decision is that we will wait for the inspector's report and then couple it with our further inquiry into the other matters.

Deputy John Deasy

Is that expected in the first quarter?

Chairman

Yes. We were told so by the Department of Education and Skills.

Deputy Kieran O'Donnell

I will make two quick points. Do we know who has been appointed as chair of that review group by the Department? Is that an internal or external appointment?

Chairman

It is Mr. Dermot Quigley, an external appointment.

It is only one inspector. I now turn to individual correspondence. Correspondence, dated 18 December 2012, was received from Ms Clare McGrath, chairman of the Office of Public Works, providing information previously requested by the committee on a proposed courthouse for Wexford Town. I presume a copy of it will go to those who complained.

Clerk to the Committee

Yes.

Chairman

Correspondence, dated 20 December 2012, was received from Mr. Ray Mitchell, assistant national director of the parliamentary regulatory affairs division of the HSE, providing information previously requested by the committee on the Irish Fire and Emergency Services Association, to be noted and forwarded to the Irish Fire and Emergency Services Association. It approached me with regard to issues and this reply is relevant. We may have to revisit the matter later. No. 3B.3 is correspondence, dated 21 December 2012, from Mr. Tom O'Mahony, Secretary General of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, providing a note requested by the committee on Fáilte Ireland, to be noted and forwarded to Mr. Cook, the original complainant. No. 3B.4 is correspondence, dated 21 December 2012, from Mr. Tom Moran, Secretary General of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, providing a note requested by the committee on Oliver McAvinia Limited, to be noted and forwarded to Mr. McAvinia. Correspondence, dated 4 January 2013, was received from Mr. Tom O'Mahony, Secretary General of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, providing a response to anonymous correspondence regarding road signage, to be noted. Do we publish the response?

Clerk to the Committee

We can do so because it is anonymous.

Chairman

No. 3B.6 is correspondence, dated 10 January 2013, from Mr. John Moriarty, Dublin Waterworld, regarding the National Aquatic Centre incorrect VAT charge, to be noted and forwarded to the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport for a comprehensive reply on the issues raised in the correspondence. Was other correspondence received on this?

Clerk to the Committee

There was previous correspondence.

Chairman

Are we waiting?

Clerk to the Committee

Yes.

Chairman

We will remind the Department we expect a reply to both. No. 3B.7 is correspondence, dated 9 January 2013, from Bernie Lloyd, Windmill residents group, County Wexford, on the proposed courthouse in Wexford Town. This matter has been dealt with and the group will get a copy of the reply.

The following are the documents related to today's meeting. Correspondence was received on 10 January 2013 regarding permission for an energy regulation briefing paper and matters to be considered for the meeting today, to be noted and published. No. 3C.2 is correspondence received on 11 January 2013 from the Commission for Communications Regulation regarding a briefing paper on matters to be considered today, to be noted and published. No. 3C.3 is documentation from the Commission for Aviation Regulation regarding a briefing paper on matters to be considered today, to be noted and published. No. 3C.4 is correspondence received on 15 January 2013 from the Commission for Energy Regulation regarding an opening statement, to be noted and published. Correspondence was received on 16 January 2013 from the Commission for Aviation Regulation regarding its opening statement, to be noted and published. No. 3C.6 is correspondence received 16 January 2013 from the Commission for Communications Regulation regarding its opening statement, to be noted and published.

Two matters arise on correspondence. I have asked the clerk to write to Fáilte Ireland regarding the changes to concession desks at Suffolk Street. It relates to a number of companies, including Dualway, Dublin Bus, Fionn McCools, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and Visit Ireland Travel. We want to find out the details regarding the income stream relative to these companies and Fáilte Ireland, what the closure of these desks would mean in the context of their income, and what procedures were put in place regarding the consultation process to reach the position. I also wish to ask the secretariat to write to Shannon Development to establish what procedures and processes are in place on the disposal of property. It is a general question to which I want an answer.

The next item on the agenda is reports, statements and accounts received since the meeting of 20 December 2012. No. 4.1 is from the Civil Defence Board, No. 4.2 is from the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission, No. 4.3 is from Horse Racing Ireland, No. 4.4 is from FÁS, No. 4.5 is from the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, No. 4.6 is from the Legal Aid Board, No. 4.7 is from the Health Information and Quality Authority, No. 4.8 is from County Meath VEC, No. 4.9 is from City of Dublin VEC, No. 4.10 is from National Sports Campus Development Authority, No. 4.11 is from County Monaghan VEC, No. 4.12 is from Mary Immaculate College, No. 4.13 is from Institute of Technology Tallaght, No. 4.14 is from County Laois VEC, No. 4.15 is from County Wicklow VEC, No. 4.16 is from Coiste an Asgard, No. 4.17 is from the Commission for Communications Regulation, No. 4.18 is from County Carlow VEC, No. 4.19 is from County Kilkenny VEC, No. 4.20 is from County Westmeath VEC, and No. 4.21 is from City of Cork VEC.

The work programme is now on our screens. At the meeting scheduled for 31 January 2013 the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform will provide a briefing requested by members on the Houses of the Oireachtas (inquiries, privilege and procedures) Bill which will come before the Oireachtas this year. We will deal with Enterprise Ireland and its accounts in the second half of that meeting. The work programme also lists the nominated speakers for upcoming meetings and members are free to exchange slots depending on their availability.

Do members have any other business they wish to raise?

Deputy John Deasy

When was the last time the regulators appeared before the committee?

Clerk to the Committee

They have not appeared before the committee previously. They have appeared before the other bodies but not before this committee in my time.

Deputy John Deasy

This is the first time.

Clerk to the Committee

Yes.

Deputy John Deasy

The Chairman mentioned correspondence involving Michael O'Leary of Ryanair which ends in February. He wrote to the committee directly. Has the committee looked into his complaints? Has it responded to them?

Clerk to the Committee

It was a series of correspondence between Michael O'Leary and the Irish Aviation Authority in which he complains about charges and the authority replied. We can take up the matter today if we wish-----

Deputy John Deasy

I do not mean to get in the way of somebody asking the question but I wonder where it ended.

Clerk to the Committee

It ended in the sense that the committee was being copied in on what was happening between the two bodies.

Deputy John Deasy

It is really a question for the Department.

Clerk to the Committee

There are issues regarding what we will deal with today, which is the cost of regulation. The Deputy can always take up this matter. Ryanair is probably one of the biggest contributors because the costs are generally met from the levies to which it is probably the biggest contributor.

Deputy John Deasy

As far as the committee's involvement is concerned, it did not take an active role after a certain point in February or March.

Clerk to the Committee

Yes, apart from the fact that at the time we stated we would schedule the regulators to come before the committee to discuss it, which is what we are doing today.

Chairman

Is it agreed that at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 24 January 2013 we will meet the National Transport Authority and the agenda for the meeting will be its accounts for 2011? Agreed. A draft report on the HSE has been ongoing and the revised draft will be circulated tomorrow and we will sign off on it next week. If members have an issue with the content of the revised draft I ask them to contact the clerk. It has been around since prior to Christmas and we want to finalise it.