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

That is fine, but hang on one second - do not take that tone with me. It is important that questions be answered today. Let me remind the witnesses of something, given the seriousness of what is involved. People are watching these proceedings who are concerned for their sport. Many of them listened to "Drivetime" on RTE Radio 1 on Tuesday and would have been shocked by the fact that this sport received €300,000 per week in taxpayers' money. Mothers who cannot get occupational therapists for their kids because of a lack of resources, elderly people who cannot get medical cards and people who are under financial pressure are watching a sport for dogs that have less meat on their bones than I do, yet the witnesses are talking about the payment of such sums. These are serious issues and significant payments into the sport, so I would appreciate answers.

Regarding the €23 million - we could not get that figure the previous day, but thank God for the Department of Education and Skills, which can give us a three-page report - secured from the sale of Harold's Cross to the Department, we have clarified that the land has been zoned as Z9 - open space. No local area plan, LAP, was prepared in advance, but Mr. Murnane's comments were interesting, in that departmental officials walked the site in 2016 and alternative uses for it were explored. Do the witnesses believe that a proper price was paid for this land? We have just completed an investigation into Project Eagle and whether there had been losses on land. I wonder whether the Comptroller and Auditor will have to audit "Project Greyhound" and whether too much has been paid for this land, given that it was zoned as open space. The amount magically hit the debt figure incurred by the IGB and the Department of Education and Skills suddenly paid a composite amount for the purchase of the property. Does Mr. Gleeson believe that this was the correct amount of money? There is no guarantee that the land will be rezoned or that there will be planning permission, yet €23 million has been paid for the site.