Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Just in a more thoughtful way, we need to consider this business of draft reports and the inappropriateness of their being circulated, or the refusal to circulate them on the basis that they are drafts and therefore not the completed work. Ordinarily, that makes absolute sense, of course - one wants the finished product and not work in progress - but it is different if a controversy arises or there is a suggestion that something else happened to influence or shape what was in a draft and what was in the finalised document. Deloitte is right to say that providing us with the draft would set a precedent, but it is not necessarily a bad precedent. In fact, in some respects for the work of this committee, it might prove a necessary precedent. It would be the exception, I am sure, and not the rule. We are not in the market for additional paperwork or additional reports, I can assure the committee, if we can possibly avoid it. I am just bringing this to the Chairman's attention because, as a rule of thumb, I do not like the committee getting brushed off in that way. There was a particular reason we made that request. I agree with my colleague, Deputy Cullinane, and with the Chairman on the course of action here on out, but if we are to correspond with Deloitte I would not like the committee to say that by adopting this stance, draft reports are off limits. That could hamper future work by this committee.