Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am not speaking on behalf of the committee but I accept that and have moved on so Mr. McGuinness does not need to say it another three or four times to everyone else on the committee. I think we accept that he was not at those meetings.

The point we are driving at is whether there was almost a wishful ignorance about what was happening because that is what is coming across today. That is what I am concerned about. Mr. McGuinness is a very hands on type of person, in fact, let us be frank, he comes from a very hands on type of political organisation. The idea that he was not pushing his way in to get information on what was going on is not credible to me. It does not stand up. Mr. McGuinness has repeated here that we are not asking why he was not involved in those meetings. We understand that. However, the information provided to us through various means, particularly through this document, and Mr. McGuinness was involved in an earlier telephone call which when he was subsequently asked he says he did contribute to, points to the fact that there were various times, and the political context is irrelevant because he had a job to do anyway, when there was a wilful neglect almost, or avoidance of asking questions about the topic because potentially it could be difficult or indeed toxic for him. All the information seems to me to point in that direction.