Paul Connaughton (Galway East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses. Much has been said already so I will not go over all the issues again. The idea of a meeting is a very welcome step forward but my fear is that if we read the transcript of the meeting from last April and compared it with today's comments, they would be similar. A meeting was supposed to take place at that stage too and I have no doubt it happened. Nevertheless, the process is moving at a slow pace. I admit this is a relatively new departure for a very large sum of money, so there will be teething problems. We saw evidence this morning of frustration because the process is taking so long, and by the time solutions are formulated, the relevant parties may not be there to feel the benefit.

This is a major area that cannot be covered today and we are trying to save money. Has there been a conversation between the witnesses and the Minister about a potential problem with the remit, which may not be broad enough? Has there been a question of whether we should go back to the starting blocks to look at the process again?