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

Mr. Mulvany mentioned the monitoring and oversight of grants to outside agencies which involved the significant sum of €3.8 billion in 2016. He mentioned the compliance unit. Mr. O'Brien also mentioned the weakness in monitoring. What is the extent of the potential for monitoring? If we look at the Console situation, Mr. O'Brien made a particular point that this agency was held up to international acclaim because of the work that it was doing. Who was to know that such misappropriation of funds was happening, given that in its primary role it was held to such acclaim? The witness talks about weaknesses in monitoring and the oversight of grants. What is the potential extent of financial exposure to the organisation?

As for the change of approach since Console, I am aware Mr. Mulvany has noted that staff have been added, but has there been a change of approach as well, given what I have said about the work that Console was doing? The job they were doing primarily was acclaimed but the misappropriation of funds was happening on a different level.