Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

To clarify the question, I appreciate that action was taken when it became an issue of public concern. The Minister had been told about it ten days before it became a matter for public concern, and the Department knew about it ten days before that. It is fair to say that the system was caught completely off guard. Did the Department do anything to prepare for the potential publicity and public reaction which has ensued before it became public?