John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Neither does the HEA. We heard that previously. Mr. Ó Foghlú and his Department say more or less the same. It is incredible that, according to today's opening statements, while everyone was shocked, it was not the speaker's fault, but that of the "man over there". Everyone pointed the finger at everyone else. Mr. Fennell and his college should have taken greater care but, in light of the audits that we have received today, the figure in question as well as the attitude of the HEA, the Department and many colleges towards governance in the education sphere are shocking. We will address those colleges later.

I am being told that people have learned from this situation. If Mr. Boland and Mr. Ó Foghlú had been overseeing the HEA, had the HEA been overseeing the college or had Mr. Burke's Department been involved proactively, this would not have happened. They are telling me that the processes were fit for purpose - that is what the report asserted - yet this happened. The processes are not fit for purpose. Taxpayers' money has been squandered in this and other instances. Mr. Boland and Mr. Ó Foghlú tell me that they have learned lessons. They have bolted the gate but the horse is gone again. That is what I read from the opening statements. They can dress it up in any way they like but that is what happened. I expect greater oversight of taxpayers' money by Departments and agencies than I have seen in the HEA and the Departments of Education and Skills and Public Expenditure and Reform.