Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate that and Deputy McGuinness has said as much. It was a casual request. Deputy McGuinness did not seek to coerce or pressurise any officials. That is his testimony.

Let us fast forward to October. There had been a flurry of e-mails. Deputy McGuinness had sent correspondence and then he went back again, having been knocked back in respect of the trip to Dubai, and asked in respect of Canada. He made a request again of the system in respect of a trade mission to Canada. Deputy McGuinness said that when the answer was "No" he accepted it and his spouse did not travel. That is the factual position. How is it that Deputy McGuinness went back a second time?