Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

-----whether it was made clear. We would need further detail in this regard because it is an important point. We need clarification on whether it was made clear in 2011 that there would be no further renewal. The Minister said earlier that there are numerous good questions that we must put to the board of HRI and I agree with him on that. I also have a good question for the Minister, whose Department gives €60 million per year to the board of HRI to administer and market the industry. Does the Minister think it was appropriate governance for the board to mandate a previous chairman to deal with all matters regarding the CEO's contract and that this mandate would simply be inherited by a subsequent chairman? If it was the case that it was stipulated on renewal of the contract that no further renewal would be awarded, then it was unacceptable for the chairman to approach the Minister and present matters as if he was acting on behalf of the board - which is what the Minister said - without having brought the issue to it. The previous contract renewal indicated that there would not be a subsequent renewal. I ask the Minister to give his view on the appropriateness of that.