Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We will return to that because I believe there remains an open question as to why the question was not asked regarding what other bodies or developers could play a role in the process.

I wish to move on to the meeting of Friday, 20 October 2006, which continued discussions about the site and what would happen in its regard. The reason this is particularly significant is that this is the first minuted example we have of discussions regarding the cost. I refer to section or paragraph 1.3 of document R909, in which it is stated: "The executive recommended that the authority should make a joint bid with Mr. McNamara, developer, to acquire the site for a sum in the range of €275 million to €375 million". The first point is that here we have confirmation of a figure in respect of the site. We also have a letter which had been issued prior to that meeting, on 12 October, from Mr. Paul Moloney, found in correspondence 3A.1.

In the minutes of the meeting the board agrees to acquire a site for a sum in a range from €275 million to €375 million, but in the letter from Mr. Moloney to Ms Moylan the figure is €220 million, a gap of between €55 million and €155 million. Why is there such a gap?