Committee Reports::Report No. 06 - Interim Report for period Oct 20/03 - July 2004 - Transport::01 May, 2005::Orders of Reference

156.(1)There shall stand established, following the reassembly of the Dáil subsequent to a General Election, a Standing Committee, to be known as the Committee of Public Accounts, to examine and report to the Dáil upon—

(a)the accounts showing the appropriation of the sums granted by the Dáil to meet the public expenditure and such other accounts as they see fit (not being accounts of persons included in the Second Schedule of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Amendment) Act, 1993) which are audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General and presented to the Dáil, together with any reports by the Comptroller and Auditor General thereon:

Provided that in relation to accounts other than Appropriation Accounts, only accounts for a financial year beginning not earlier than 1 January, 1994, shall be examined by the Committee;

(b)the Comptroller and Auditor General’s reports on his or her examinations of economy, efficiency, effectiveness evaluation systems, procedures and practices; and

(c)other reports carried out by the Comptroller and Auditor General under the Act.

(2)The Committee may suggest alterations and improvements in the form of the Estimates submitted to the Dáil.

(3)The Committee may proceed with its examination of an account or a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General at any time after that account or report is presented to Dáil Éireann.

(a)power to send for persons, papers and records as defined in Standing Order 83;

(b)power to take oral and written evidence as defined in Standing Order 81(1);

(c)power to appoint sub-Committees as defined in Standing Order 81(3);

(d)power to engage consultants as defined in Standing Order 81(8); and

(e)power to travel as defined in Standing Order 81(9).

(5)Every report which the Committee proposes to make shall, on adoption by the Committee, be laid before the Dáil forthwith whereupon the Committee shall be empowered to print and publish such report together with such related documents as it thinks fit.

(6)The Committee shall present an annual progress report to Dáil Éireann on its activities and plans.

(a)enquiring into in public session, or publishing, confidential information regarding the activities and plans of a Government Department or office, or of a body which is subject to audit, examination or inspection by the Comptroller and Auditor General, if so requested either by a member of the Government, or the body concerned; and

(b)enquiring into the merits of a policy or policies of the Government or a member of the Government or the merits of the objectives of such policies.

(8)The Committee may, without prejudice to the independence of the Comptroller and Auditor General in determining the work to be carried out by his or her Office or the manner in which it is carried out, in private communication, make such suggestions to the Comptroller and Auditor General regarding that work as it sees fit.

(9)The Committee shall consist of twelve members, none of whom shall be a member of the Government or a Minister of State, and four of whom shall constitute a quorum. The Committee and any sub-Committee which it may appoint shall be constituted so as to be impartially representative of the Dáil.

Déardaoin 12 Feabhra 2004

Thursday 12 February 2004

2. Members Present:- John Perry (in the Chair), Sean Ardagh, Dan Boyle, Paul Connaughton, John Curran, John Dennehy, Seán Fleming, Joe Higgins, John McGuinness, Michael Noonan, Pat Rabbitte.

Ms. Julie O’Neill (Secretary General, Department of Transport), Ms. Deirdre Hanlon (Principal Officer, Department of Finance), Mr. David Hurley (Principal Officer, Department of Finance), Mr. John Purcell (Comptroller and Auditor General).

Déardaoin 15 Iúil 2004

Thursday 15 July 2004

2. Members Present:- John Perry (in the Chair), Dan Boyle, John Curran, John Dennehy, Seán Fleming, John McGuinness, Michael Noonan.

Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report No. 6 — National Roads Authority Primary Routes Improvement Programme.

Mr. Michael Tobin (Chief Executive, National Roads Authority), Mr. Michael Eagan (Head of Corporate Affairs, National Roads Authority), Mr. Tim Ahern (Senior Project Manager, National Roads Authority), Mr. John Fleming (Senior Project Manager, National Roads Authority), Ms. Julie O’Neill (Secretary General, Department of Transport), Mr. John Murphy (Assistant Secretary, Roads Division, Department of Transport), Mr. Aidan Dunning (Assistant Secretary, Department of Finance), Mr. Mr. John Purcell (Comptroller and Auditor General).

Orders of Reference of the Committee of Public Accounts

Déardaoin 12 Feabhra 2004

Thursday 12 February 2004

Déardaoin 15 Iúil 2004

Thursday 15 July 2004