Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have a difficulty where proceedings are in being with us having any role at all. It has been clarified that we do not and the question that has arisen is whether the Department has written without telling us. The Chairman is going to clarify that. When this was discussed following the issuing of the plenary summons, the Department accepted that the questions were justified. Certainly, my understanding was that the issues raised in the plenary summons were practical questions on the overall supervision and monitoring. We asked at that point if those questions would be answered clearly because the Department had a duty to answer them. We asked why we had to go through a plenary summons and a statement of claim. At that point, the official said he did not disagree with that interpretation. I emphasise that this is my understanding of it. However, he said the Department needed a statement of claim to see the issues teased out more clearly before it would look at it. A statement of claim has been served and that should be clarified. Deputy MacSharry says a defence has not been served yet. Our role was to ask whether the issues raised were legitimate and whether there was any way they could be answered because we wanted them answered. I was waiting for the official to come back on that once the statement of claim was served. This was without discussing the proceedings, but on the issues being raised, which is a role for all of us. At this point, we are getting silly letters as to who says what as opposed to on the issues. I support the concerns around the lack of accountability in relation to the matters which have been raised. I will not repeat them.