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

I am giving my view. I am not inferring anything about Dr. Love's judgment. He gave a personal opinion. While I appreciate that the process is not finished, on 17 June it will be one year since we first discussed these matters and that is a problem. The echoes of condemnation should still be heard from 18 June, that public money cannot be spent in this way.

The CIT proposal relates to a procedure. We may be happy that a procedure will be put in place but not if the procedure is that the vice president of finance must say that it is okay whenever €20,000 is being dished out for a portrait or an ice sculpture because that is not good enough. I do not know how Dr. Love's board, when the time comes for its next meeting, could be remotely happy with this pitiful account of how taxpayers' money can be handled in the future. People will only need the permission of one person to dish out whatever they want. I expect to hear after that board meeting - albeit a year late - a loud chorus of condemnation and to see clear procedures laid out, rather than guidelines, on what people can and cannot do.