John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As an add-on to what the Chairman stated, it is not overstating the matter to say that it is clear from our work that certain Government agencies and Departments treat the centralised procurement guidelines as a matter of opinion. This is substantiated by the work of the Comptroller and Auditor General. We deal with the issue continually. I believe that this is the committee's view. There is a problem. Citing the centralised procurement guidelines is no longer sufficient, given the regular infractions, particularly by a couple of large agencies.

In hindsight, does Mr. Ó Foghlú agree with the idea that €1,500 per day was the going rate? People ask whether we learn anything from these issues. As Mr. Fennell pointed out, when a body has 8,000 people, such issues arise. They must be investigated. Does Mr. Ó Foghlú agree that €1,500 was a reasonable amount to pay, regardless of the overrun? Does his Department plan to implement set guidelines across the sector in terms of similar investigations?