Mr. Cormac O'Rourke:

I have not had much time to look at the national development plan. I thought the general view from the Department of Finance and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform was to limit PPPs except where there is a possibility of income. That is the policy direction, as I understand it, but it has not come out finally to us. In terms of balance, if it can enable projects such as the M17 and M18 to occur at times when they would not otherwise, it represents a really good use of public money. There are other projects where it may be a little more nuanced.

Deputy Munster's question on conflicts of interest is a good one. I too have adopted the policy adopted by my predecessor where the first item of the agenda at meetings of the TII is conflicts of interest. In a country as small as ours, they do arise. I have never worked on road projects in Ireland, but as the Deputy pointed out, I do work a lot with other semi-State bodies. I have done work for the port of Cork and Mr. Mullins, for other ports, and for other semi-States. If there is a conflict of interest, the strict policy is that I remove myself, another board member takes over as chair, the item is discussed, I am called back in and told the result. The same applies to other board members in similar circumstances. I do not take part in, nor do I attend, the discussion of any areas where I have a potential conflict of interest.