Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I agree that we should make a decision. Subject to what I see tomorrow, Mr. O'Brien should come back to the committee, as should the other gentleman mentioned and anyone else Mr. O'Brien believes would be able to assist him.

On the freedom of information question, while Deputy Farrell raises an interesting point with which I do not have problem, it takes us off the issue of the Health Service Executive's interpretation of the freedom of information request. It is extremely important that we focus on that issue. What was conveyed in writing and verbally to the committee was a particular narrative that did not match the facts on the ground in respect of the two freedom of information requests that were partially granted further to appeals and so on. It was particularly significant that the information on communications between the Health Service Executive and An Garda Síochána was refused on one occasion.

While I am acutely conscious that an investigation is under way, the committee has a different role in this matter. Mr. O'Brien appeared before us a second time to clarify the position and in his attempt at doing so, he caused confusion, to put it mildly. There is, therefore, a duty on him to clarify three issues. The first of these is the narrative in respect of the freedom of information request. The determination is a separate issue from the narrative Mr. O'Brien provided, which was completely at odds with the narrative of the RTE programme. Second, Mr. O'Brien must clarify procurement issues, which fall directly within the remit of the committee. While I was not present for the meeting at which this matter arose, I understand the discussion was not successfully concluded. Third, there is confusion as to the number of employees involved. Mr. O'Brien appeared before us ostensibly to clarify this matter. In the course of questioning him, however, we discovered he had left out another decision maker who was on the panel. It should be clarified how many employees who were involved in the decision making process-----