Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Purcell and his team for being here today. Obviously, we are talking about the casino in the meaning of Italian word as opposed to a place one would go to gamble, but it seems the Department might have been better taking the €3.3 million and going to a casino with it because, as the Comptroller and Auditor General's report has clearly stated, €3.3 million was spent and there is no material benefit from that for the taxpayer. My colleague, Deputy Nash, touched on the issue of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government lodging an objection or a planning concern because of the location beside a national monument. However, the problems did not end there because after that difficulty was dealt with, when the tender competition was launched in August 2008, another problem arose with another Department raising concerns, and this time it was the Department of Finance objecting to the form of contract used. Mr. Purcell might explain that.