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

-----about various things at CIT that made references to public private partnerships, PPPs, and problems with them. I asked Mr. Ó Foghlú whether he had the missing page 14. He said that he did not have the stuff with him and was unsure. I think that is what he indicated. I replied that I had page 14, which specifically alluded to things to do with the PPP, the lack of succession which, in fairness, the Comptroller and Auditor General had identified as well, and some other issues. I offered to make the page available to the Department if the officials did not already have the page. I have it here and they can have same.

While there is no questions in this regard, I am happy to say "Sorry" but I looked for the report on the qualifications of the individual but could not find it, which suggested to me that there was no response. I fully accept that there was a response at that time. The response now, having read it, looks like it was written, following the meeting in 2014, to facilitate the end of the story. It does not and it creates more questions. Clearly, Mr. Ó Foghlú, and I am sad to say we were very frustrated that day, and another Secretary General who was present did not like the robust questioning. They did not like the adversarial style. I pointed out that I was not here to make up numbers but ask questions about public money, and sometimes I must ask difficult questions. I am paid a lot of money to do so and the officials are paid even more to do their jobs. The precious reaction to the style of questioning is endemic and characteristic of the sort of stonewalling that we get here on a consistent basis. Whether that is the gardaí, the Department of Justice and Equality, the Department of Education and Skills, or whatever, there is a culture of containment and the approach adopted is there is nothing to see here and shutters are pulled down. Mr. Ó Foghlú was more interested in getting an apology from me as to the style, delivery and presentation of my questions instead of approaching me immediately after the meeting and asking for the missing page. Nobody has asked me for the page but maybe he has it already.

I asked a number of questions on the last day. I suggested that the officials could come back to me on some matters, and specifically why the consultant was brought back on the following Monday. Has Mr. Ó Foghlú supplied the information?