Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 16 December 2014

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Departmental Resourcing: Discussion

1:55 pm

Photo of Dara CallearyDara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am on record as acknowledging the huge input of the Department in the Presidency. As recently as last Wednesday I acknowledged in the Minister's presence the huge input and co-operation of departmental officials in the Companies Bill. However, as the Secretary General said, the matter had been the subject of previous investigations and it was one of great importance to the State. The Secretary General spoke about the highest standards of compliance being an aim of the Department. The Minister spoke about maintaining the highest standards. Surely, when a new dossier arrived in December 2012, alarm bells should have gone off immediately and an attempt should have been made to get the proper skills, as had been done previously? I point to the recruitment of a Queen's Counsel previously from outside the jurisdiction to examine some of the issues involved. Surely given the political importance that attached to the matter, that should have been done.

When did the examination to which the Secretary General referred take place and when was it completed? The gap that has arisen and the lack of information in that regard has allowed the situation to arise, and is partially responsible for it arising, where people who are named in the report and who may not be guilty of an offence have had their names bandied about in Parliament. The Department received the material in December 2012. At what stage did the examination of the information that was provided get under way? Has the examination concluded or is it still under way? During the examination, were parties outside of the Department involved? I include the Garda in that regard, but I also include agents of the Department such as the ODCE or other body. I need a timeline from the Secretary General on the investigation throughout 2013 and into 2014.

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