Derek Nolan (Galway West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The former president said he would obtain informal approval from the chairman. What is being portrayed - possibly, rightly - is that the previous president was to blame. The question is whether there were wider governance issues. If the former president said he had contacted the chairman and obtained preapproval from the chairman, the least one would expect is that the chairman would have been contacted to verify if that was true.