Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am not going to argue the toss. I will make a few statements and if anyone disagrees with them, they should say so. This is the easiest way of dealing with it. It seems to me that the OPW did not actually know what it owned in Templemore, in Clonmore actually. The Garda College was renting it out. The OPW did not know it was not getting rent. I have submitted parliamentary questions on this. It is incredible. It did not know it was not getting rent on something it owned. The Garda College was renting it out and getting money. I cannot understand how, in the whole budgeting and Estimates process, somewhere down the line, there was not a note to say there would be a deduction of €38,000 or whatever the figure was because they were actually collecting the rent, so there could be some counterbalancing somewhere. That is farcical.

I found Mr. Culhane's evidence today unbelievable, frankly. It was incredible and not in a good way. It is not personal; it is Mr. Culhane's role. I have read his letters and, to be fair, he has referred issues up the chain. I accept that. I can see the emails etc. I do not know at what velocity he did it but I can see the documentation. However in his position, as far as I am concerned, he needed to go further when action was not being taken, especially in 2008 and 2010, whether by notifying Mr. McCarthy or his predecessor, or going through internal audit. On the basis of today's discussion, that raises very serious questions.

The last issue is also for Mr. Culhane. We have heard here that in respect of four of the tax numbers, we do not know if the lads will be able to make sure that they are meeting requirements and tax compliant. We have heard so much evidence over the 12 or 13 hours. Mr. Culhane has said that in fairness, he had a reputation for getting things done and all of that. There was a tax audit report done in 2010, is that correct?