Shane Cassells (Meath West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

They were happy times. I doubt if the experiences of people there today are as happy. The Department is faced with a difficult situation with the concept of the facility and the experiences of people within it. It has been the subject of much commentary nationally and locally, in the Drogheda Independent, the Meath Chronicle or LMFM. The centre looks well on a sunny day at the height of the holiday season but it is a different place in November and December. The vastness of the area on a cold day can resemble other types of camps. It has been described as a prison without the armed guards and the barbed wire.

On the issue of operators, the point has been made that it is a big business and it has also been the subject of a lot of commentary. In his opening statement, Mr. Waters said there were no cheaper alternatives to direct provision. He said that, in the open market, tenders came in with higher prices. I want to explore that.

Obviously, Mosney is commercially owned. Mr. McCluskey owns it. I served on the board of Meath Tourism with him. However, in terms of the profits being generated, can Mr. Waters explain the terms used when the Department is analysing the prices paid for a facility such as Mosney at the get-go?