Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The fundamental point is that the chairperson said that the Comptroller and Auditor General wants more control. One way to do that would be a compliance unit. However, this is a much better way to do it because they now have fewer companies in that there will be regional companies. The local element is going to be lost. That is the problem. It is going to be centralised. There is great confidence in the system as it operates at the moment. That does not seem to be taken into account. I do not believe the witness nor the cost benefit analysis clearly explains what benefits are going to ensue and how exactly they are going to ensue to the end users. That is why we are all here. It is why this was set up. I do not understand what is happening.

The witness also stated that she thinks that the board members have all read this report, understand it and, I presume, are all in full agreement with it. However, I have been advised that is not the case. I have been reliably informed that the majority of the board do not agree with the conclusions of this report. I take the witness's point about not discussing board meetings when the minutes are not on the website. However, when the minutes are on the website we should have another discussion on this.

This is fundamental. I refer to the points I wanted to make about the benefits and cost. If we are estimating what this is going to cost we deduct tax and PRSI. Put that against what it is costing at the moment, including tax and PRSI, and the loss of volunteers is supposed to be a benefit. Nobody can understand that. This needs careful analysis, which it has not got to date.