Mr. Martin Fraser:

The reason I did not supply one is that I can only use one hand for typing at the moment. I apologise for that. I do not have much to add to what the Comptroller and Auditor General has said. The spend of €3.6 million in 2016 is set out in the account in a lot of detail. There is only one non-office expenditure, the centenarian's bounty, which is the amount paid to people on reaching 100 years, in the country each year. My position is a little bit different in respect of Vote 1 in that I do not have any executive authority over the Office of the President, for obvious reasons.

Broadly speaking, in 2017 the spend is again approximately €3.7 million and that was again within budget, but the account has not been published yet. As I stated in my letter, I rely in the main on the Comptroller and Auditor General for assurance on the accounts, and he has found no problems. That is all I have to say in the way of an opening statement.