Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Would it not have been the norm, if it had an exposure for eight years, to ensure it got a long-term lease in place? Even apart from that, the annual rent it was paying on the premises was €67,465. The rent from the sub-let was only €51,000. That is a shortfall of €16,500, and it was looking at an eight year exposure. Even with that there was €131,000 of taxpayers' money going down the drain. It is an old-fashioned principle that public servants should deem it to be their own money, but in the situation that arose in this case - I am not personalising it but merely making the point - from a business model it was flawed from day one because it would cost the taxpayer €132,000. There would be a shortfall of €16,500 per annum anyway. Was it required to seek approval from the Department?