Mr. Tom Boland:

That is a little unfair, because the Deputy is asking me to second-guess the president. I will say, however, that it is an absolutely fundamental mistake, either in the terms of reference or in the appointment letters of the people involved, that there was not a process put in place to control both the length and cost of the inquiry.

I totally accept the position that it is very difficult for an institution which has set up an inquiry to interfere in it. There is a way in which one can interfere properly in an inquiry and there could have been processes in place for interim reports which would allow the president and the governing body to make decisions on how it should go forward. There could also have been fixed or particular terms around the costs and the timing. There are measures in other legal situations where one would set a maximum fee for a piece of work, no matter how long it took. At the very least that can encourage speed in the conclusion of inquiries.