Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I raised this issue in the Dáil through parliamentary questions in January within days of a report inThe Sunday Timeson the draft interim report. I raised the issue on the floor of the House on 9 February during Leaders' Questions with the Tánaiste who said, in a very dismissive fashion, that the report had been sent to the Committee on Justice and Equality and the Committee of Public Accounts and that it had received full scrutiny. I did not challenge the Tánaiste on that but when back in my office I checked and found there was no evidence that this was the case. I e-mailed the Department of Justice and Equality and drew attention to the fact that the information I had been given was incorrect. I had written to the Committee of Public Accounts seeking this matter to be timetabled and for the report to be provided to the Committee of Public Accounts at that stage. This was in early February. I accept that this was a draft report until February because it was February when it became an interim report and ceased to be a draft. Was Mr. Waters aware of that? Somebody must have replied to me because the reply said that there was an error and it was not the Committee on Justice and Equality that dealt with this issue but that it was the Committee on Public Accounts that dealt with it. I then had to take it up with the Tánaiste because the only reference to the Committee of Public Accounts and this issue was my notification to the Committee of Public Accounts seeking the publication of this report. Is Mr. Waters aware of that dialogue?