Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

No one appears to be using them. I do not want to delay on this matter, but I want to go further down the list of parliamentary questions. Mr. Carville called out for Deputy David Cullinane the hourly rate for partners. I want a breakdown of how many partners are being used and for how many hours to perform certain tasks. The Minister, or perhaps the witnesses on his behalf, wrote back to say he had been advised by the special liquidators that these matters were commercially sensitive. Who is driving the bus? If I ask a parliamentary questin on behalf of the people, do we have to check with the special liquidators to find out if it is okay for me to tell the public, our employer, for how many hours the liquidators are being paid to do a certain job? Why would that even appear in a parliamentary question: "I am advised by the special liquidators"? The special liquidators are not advisers. If I get my hair cut, it will cost me €X. I do not need the hairdresser's permission to share the fact that it took a half an hour and cost me €20. That is my business to decide if I want to share the information.