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

On the face of it, one could make the case that as it was, the Department was overpaying for the building because the VEC was only able to get €51,000 on re-letting the premises at the height of the crazy tiger years. As part of the Department's due diligence, I ask the Secretary General to examine how a rate of €67,465 was negotiated on the rental of the premises. Why could the VEC only get €51,000 for it? How did the VEC justify moving to a new premises when the rental it was receiving on the old premises did not even cover the rental sum it was paying? Was there a break clause in the contract? On the whole, this appears to me to lack due diligence. Effectively, the locks were on but no one had a key to open the lock to get out the front door. Instead, the VEC climbed out the back window and effectively continued to pay the rent for the premises. Can I take it that the Department will look into this and report back?