Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Deputy Pearse Doherty. This is not a departmental committee We are not attached to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform or the Department of Finance. This committee is supposed to have oversight of all Departments. Like Deputy Doherty, I believe this is crazy. The fact that the Minister scheduled a press conference knowing that he would be at this meeting is unacceptable and unfair to the committee. No more than Deputy Doherty, I had to make a journey to come here. We have not had a chance as a budgetary oversight committee, as opposed to a specific departmental committee, to delve into some of these issues. In fairness to the Minister, this is not like him.