Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Mr. Fraser as the Accounting Officer for Vote 1, the President's Establishment. When there is a report from the Comptroller and Auditor General our remit is to scrutinise the Vote and to make sure there is value for money for the taxpayers of this country who pay to keep the system in place. The Comptroller and Auditor General said €3.6 million was the overall amount spent in 2016. In one of last Sunday's newspapers I read there had been a cost of €50 million. I do not know where that amount came from. That would be €7 million a year. Where did such a figure come from or how did anyone come up with the amount?