David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In this particular case, when the criticism is personalised and a member is singled out and then accused of doing down their own city and country because they have asked genuine questions about concerns that have been articulated by people in an institute, and we are just doing our job, that is serious. It does have implications for us and needs to be responded to. This is an Accounting Officer. This is somebody who has a responsibility to come and be held to account by the Committee of Public Accounts. He said there has been a breach in due process, called into question the motivations behind the questions being asked, and claimed that false information was being put into the public record which, in view, is not the case.

In general overall terms, in my view, and the words were used that the Deputy, which is me, - he did not refer to me by my first name or call me a Deputy but I will leave that aside - should stop asking questions and stop doing what he is doing. It is serious when an Accounting Officer says stop. It is not an Accounting Officer's job to tell us what we should or should not do. We, as members, have to follow through on all of the issues.

On the McLoone report, we had Dr. Love here to discuss this matter in private session. My understanding is that he sought to redraft some elements of it. The report, as with all of these reports, goes out into the institute. Obviously people then have an opportunity to respond, which they did. They then got a number of legal letters, which were with the legal unit of the HEA. Dr. Love hoped that he would be able to resolve all of that and then produce a draft report very quickly. Unfortunately, six months have elapsed and we are nowhere closer to having the report.

The Comptroller and Auditor General is preparing a separate report, which is only one element. It is one company. We will have that report, which will give us an opportunity to invite the Accounting Officer to return here. I agree with my colleagues that we need to find out what issues are delaying the McLoone report because I think it would be unacceptable if we ended up with no report.