Committee Reports > List of Committees > Joint > 1985 > Committee on Commercial State-Sponsored Bodies > Report No. 03 - Bord Gais Eireannn

APPENDIX 11

MINUTES SENT BY CLERK TO JOINT COMMITTEE TO SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

(i)

I am directed by the Chairman of the Joint Committee on Commercial State-Sponsored Bodies, Mr. Frank Prendergast, T.D., to inform you that, in connection with its examination of the reports and accounts and overall operational results of Bord Gáis Éireann, the Joint Committee has decided to take oral evidence from officials of your Department at its meeting on 21 May, 1985. I am, accordingly, to request you to arrange for the attendance of officials at that meeting.

I will communicate with you again to inform you of the arrangements for the meeting.

C. O’BRIEN,

Clerk to the Joint Committee,

10 May, 1985.

(ii)

Further to my minute of 10 May, 1985 in connection with the Joint Committee’s examination of Bord Gáis Éireann, I am to inform you that the Joint Committee will examine officials of your Department at its meeting on Wednesday, 5 June, 1985. The meeting will be in public and it has been arranged for 6 p.m. in Room 114, Leinster House.

Perhaps you will arrange to let me have in advance of the meeting the names of the officials who will attend.

C. O’BRIEN,

Clerk to the Joint Committee,

31 May, 1985.

MINUTE TO CLERK TO JOINT COMMITTEE FROM DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

As I explained to you this morning, officials of this Department will not, unfortunately, be able to attend your Joint Committee’s meeting this evening. We have problems due to short notice of this particular meeting and there are matters on which we would require clarification if we are to be adequately prepared.

In particular we would wish to know, in writing, why the Committee wants officials present and what they wish to discuss. Since BGE have already presented themselves before your Committee in relation to their business, the only matters which apparently remain are those of policy which Civil Servants are, as you know, not in a position to deal with. Furthermore, there are Government decisions which we understand have always been taken to mean that officials would attend only in very special circumstances. We are not aware that such circumstances arise in relation to BGE but if there are any, perhaps you would be good enough to let us know.

Even if it is found that officials are precluded from attending in this case, the Government decisions referred to would enable us to supply written material in answer to your queries, subject, of course, to any requirements of confidentiality.

A. MURPHY,

5 June, 1985.

MINUTE SENT BY CLERK TO JOINT COMMITTEE TO SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

I am directed by the Chairman of the Joint Committee on Commercial State-Sponsored Bodies, Mr. Frank Prendergast, T.D., to refer to Mr. Murphy’s minute of 5 June, 1985, and to state that the Committee refutes the suggestion that the Department of Energy was given short notice of the meeting on Wednesday last, 5 June.

I am to state that the Department was informed by minute dated 10 May, 1985 of the Committee’s intention to take evidence from officials and while the date for the meeting proposed in that minute was not adhered to because of a change in the Committee’s programme, the Department was kept informed of developments by telephone. With regard to the meeting on 5 June the Department was notified orally of the date of the meeting in advance of my minute of 31 May, 1985 confirming the arrangements.

The Committee’s terms of reference confer on it the power to send for persons (as well as papers and records). The terms do not exclude civil servants and in each of the enquiries which the Committee has completed to-date it has taken oral evidence from officials of the sponsoring Department. The Committee regards the taking of such evidence as essential to the effective discharge of its function to examine the Reports and Accounts and overall operational results of commercial State-sponsored bodies and in relation to its examination of Bord Gáis Éireann I am to ask you to confirm that officials of the Department of Energy will attend a meeting of the Committee at a date to be arranged for the purpose of giving oral evidence.

I am to state that the failure to send officials to give evidence is a matter of grave concern to the Committee and, in view of the serious implications it has for the discharge of its functions and for the Committee system generally, it intends to pursue the matter with the Leader of the House.

C. O’BRIEN,

Clerk to the Joint Committee,

10 June, 1985.