Mr. Robert K. Olson:

We certainly believe that we are independent. We put in two suggestions to try to address this. One was to give us authority to do inspections of our own volition. For example, let us consider the matter of fixed charge penalties. From what I know, I could have started that one year earlier and perhaps much of the difficulty would not have arisen. Setting that aside, we have had problems in the past when we have made reports and submitted them to the Minister. Some were not published or put before the Oireachtas. In one case of child sexual abuse, it was ten months before it was made public and in another case of front-line supervision it was 13 months. We would like to see that firmed up, whatever the process, such that when we are finished with a report and it is fresh and ready it can be published as soon as possible.