Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Okay. I have one final issue to ask the witness about. That is why I asked Mr. Love to give us an understanding of the presidents of the various third level institutions and whether their employment was full time or whatever. Obviously, at the salary being paid, we would expect full-time service and not something else. Professor Norton might talk to us about something that is public knowledge. I think he is chairman of Action Renewables. That is a Northern Irish company that was the principal adviser to people who applied for the cash-for-ash scheme or the renewable heat incentive. The witness has stated he was not responsible for designing or delivering the scheme, which is undoubtedly the case. However, I think his company processed at least 30% of all applications - that seems to be the accepted figure - under the renewable heat incentive. Some people felt that that organisation - I do not know whether it has claimed some charitable status - should have advised the State in some way, because of that possible charitable status, that this scheme was not good for the people. I think Professor Norton or executives of his company would say that it was not their job to do that, that their job was to assist applicants and that it would have been wrong of them to assist applicants to apply for funding under the cash-for-ash scheme while at the same time recommending to the Government that the scheme was not a good scheme. The witness might talk to us about his commitment to the Action Renewables company, his involvement and any remuneration he receives from that company, because we have had this with the HSE and other organisations to which the State is paying full-time salaries. We would like to be sure that we are getting a full-time commitment in return. I ask him to talk to us about that.