Ms Josephine Feehily:

I cannot say precisely what everybody may have said on any given day. I can assure the Deputy that the letter and the subsequent correspondence was treated with the utmost confidentiality within the authority. That is the only assurance I can give the Deputy.

I must underline that the fact that there was contact was not, in itself, confidential. Something changed when we received a letter which had a different tone. It was sensitive. We asked for permission, and that correspondence was treated with the utmost confidentiality.