Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 29 March 2018

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach

Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 1 - President's Establishment (Revised)
Vote 2 - Department of the Taoiseach (Revised)
Vote 3 - Office of the Attorney General (Revised)
Vote 4 - Central Statistics Office (Revised)
Vote 5 - Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Revised)
Vote 6 - Office of the Chief State Solicitor (Revised)

10:00 am

Mr. Martin Fraser:

I can answer that question as I happen to know the answer, while the Taoiseach does not. As the Deputy knows, I asked Ms Elizabeth Canavan to carry out the investigation because she had not been involved. Quite late in the process one of the editors told her that the email they had received was a little different from what we had seen when we investigated it. We put that to Mediaforce before the investigation was concluded. It did not come back to us in time for inclusion in the report. I had to report to the Taoiseach and the Government on the Tuesday. I did so and the report was published. We have since had clarification. I have seen it, but I have not had time to reflect on it or look at the paperwork. I think I saw an email last night, but we should reflect on it. We will certainly publish it. It does clarify Deputy Pearse Doherty's point, but it would be wrong of me to get into it now. However, I will be very happy to share the clarification with the Deputy once I have had a chance to read it properly. I have not briefed the Taoiseach on it because it was received by Ms Canavan and we have been doing other things.

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