The purpose of the circular is to verify the inventory. For example, personal computers and printers were provided with the voting machines for the count centres. Some have been used for manual counts at elections and, therefore, some of the equipment has been used and the Department is trying to establish what is left for resale or disposal. The committee will ask the Department to urgently furnish us with the results of the questionnaires it sent out to establish what equipment is out there and we will take it from there. It will take the Department a while to get that. We will pursue this through correspondence before scheduling a meeting.
The next item is the cessation of electronic voting and counting project, which is a related issue. The next item is 3609, a poster for the Lisbon treaty. The next item is 3409, further information on the Lisbon treaty. The next item is 0609, a letter seeking enforcement data relating to litter. The next items are 0309 and 409, local authority loans regulations 2009. The next item is 0609, local authority mortgage protection insurance.
The next item is 809, breakage cost to be applied on the early redemption or conversion of five-year fixed rate mortgages. Many people have examined this topic. I refer to people in local authority housing breaking loans. The breakage fee for a person on a five-year fixed rate for a €150,000 mortgage, who has four years remaining, is approximately €14,000. The committee has complained about the banks applying high breakage fees but local authorities, on the direct instruction of the Department, have similar breakage fees for people wishing to switch to a variable rate. It is important to note that local authorities are applying the same procedures as the banks. It made interesting reading. I am sorry for detaining members with the large number of circulars which arrived during the summer. However, we asked to be informed and sometimes they contain an interesting nugget of information which is worth pursuing.
The next items are: WPPR 10/09, Subvention of Operating Costs of Recycling Facilities; S.4.2009, Public Service Pension Reform, Revised method for reckoning variable pensionable allowances for pension purposes; LG 16/09, local policing fora; and F.38/09, postal voting for military personnel. That is for the Lisbon treaty referendum.
The next items are: LG (P) 09/09, Public Sector Employment — Quarterly Staffing Returns; LG(P)11/09, Implementation of Saving Measures on Public Service Numbers — Peace 111 and INTERREG programmes; LG(P)10/09, Local Authority Freedom of Information Statistical Returns; LSS 05/09, Public Library Subsidies (Leases); PHS 05/09, Reminder for Inspection Targets and Confirmation of Bank Account Details; EL 07/09, Subsistence Allowances Abroad; LG(P)08/09, Allocations under National Disability Strategy 2009; EL 08(A)/09, Special Local Authority Incentive Career Break Scheme; LG(P)09/09, Public Sector Employment — Local Authority June 2009 Quarter Return; EL 09/09 Shorter Working Year Scheme; WSP 5/09, Water Services Pricing Policy Implementation; WSP 5/09, Management Information Questionnaire 2008; TAU 3/2009, Local Traveller Accommodation Consultative Committees (LTACCs); IPPP 4/2009, refers to previous circulars IPPP 1, 2, and 3/2009; and PD8/09, ECJ Case C-75/08, Mellor v . Secretary of State. This case concerned environmental impact assessments. Any member who wishes to study this matter is free to do so.
The next item is HGS 02/09, Revised Suite of Grants for Older People and People with a Disability. This will come into the discussion, as referred to by Deputy Bannon. The next items are: HGS 01/09 2009, Capital Allocations for Disabled Persons and Essential Repairs Grant Schemes; HU 2/09, Funding for Homeless Accommodation and Related Services 2009; LG 09/09 Re: Joint Policing Committees — reconstitution following local elections; LG 11/09, Strategic Policy Committees; LH 11/09, Reconstitution of Membership of County/City Development Board and Community and Voluntary Fora following Local Elections 2009; BC 1/09, Building Control Statistics July-December 2008; and LG(P)02/09, Initiative to Provide Wheelchairs for Local Authorities under the National Disability Strategy. This scheme makes wheelchairs available to every local authority for use in public libraries and offices. Wheelchairs are provided but not staff to push them.
The next items are: LG 15/09 Induction Course for Newly Elected Local Authority Members; LG(P)14/09, Public Sector Employment — Local Authority Sector Staffing Movements; and LG(P)13/09 Staffing Moratorium.
That concludes the extensive list of correspondence. The meeting will suspend for some moments while our guests take their positions.