David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I agree that we need to be careful and cautious. This committee should not try to supersede, interfere with or do the work of others, be it An Garda Síochána or anybody else. It has already been articulated that there are limitations on us and on the Comptroller and Auditor General with regard to Console. I fully accept that. My understanding as to what we will be doing next is that we will be following the HSE money and we need to do so in that context. We need to ensure that taxpayers' money was not being used in an inappropriate way because this is not the first time this has happened. In fairness to the previous Committee of Public Accounts, an great deal of time was spent on these sections 38 and 39 organisations involving the expenditure of State money and taxpayers money and, unfortunately, what has come to light seems to be prevalent across many of these organisations. A number of them have been at the centre of very serious issues. This is a matter of major public concern, and we all accept that. That should be our starting point next week and it is right that we would do it that way. We are not trying to replicate anybody else's work but we have a job to do and we have a responsibility to follow taxpayers' money. We must do so in a very clear and diligent manner and ensure that there has been no waste, to put it mildly, of taxpayers' money by any of these organisations. Potentially much deeper issues will arise in respect of those organisations as the issue of State funding will arise in the discussions. I agree with what has been said but we have a clear responsibility to taxpayers with regard to this issue and others that have arisen.