Seán Fleming (Laois, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Mr. Buckley is familiar with who he is dealing with on that point. I want to thank the witnesses from the OPW and the Comptroller and Auditor General for their attendance today and for the material provided. There was a little bit of a mix-up about information but we have it now. It shows the value of being able to check back with the office during the course of a long meeting and getting the information to us. We are not publishing that document at this stage.

We will not do anything without consulting the witnesses and we may not even go there at all with the document. We asked for some items of information and they will be sent in writing to the secretariat. I thank the Comptroller and Auditor General and his staff.

Before we adjourn, I note that the report of the Charleton tribunal gives glowing praise to Mr. Maurice McCabe, who met members of the Committee of Public Accounts and spoke to the Comptroller and Auditor General about speeding fines and the loss to the Exchequer. Much time was spent following up on the matter. It was mentioned earlier that the committee was heavily criticised for examining matters such as speeding fines but we knew the job we were doing and we were right to do it. Mr. McCabe was right to do what he did. Mr. Justice Charleton gave him a glowing report in saying he always put the interests of the State above all other issues, including his loyalty to his day job. He put the State first and came out with some good praise. We acknowledge the fact that the Committee of Public Accounts and the Comptroller and Auditor General helped to get the matter to the Charleton tribunal. I know examination of the issues is not yet complete but it is important to note the findings. At our next meeting we will meet representatives of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in the morning before meeting representatives of the Department of Education and Skills and the Higher Education Authority in the afternoon.