Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I do not know the person who wrote this letter but it is certainly the case that this issue was in the public domain before Christmas. Despite the assurances from Deputy Cassells, who is passionate about the GAA, we are not here to be passionate about the GAA or to defend it. We are here to discuss public money and accountability for its spending. That is the issue here. I am aware that we have not been written to directly, which is a difficulty. However, the issue being raised is accountability for public money. It arises everywhere, including, for example, in the charity sector, and I am reminded of the issues faced by Console in the past. There are always people who come forward who say that charities do tremendous work. It is irrelevant; it is important to remember their work but that is not our role. We have to look at whether public money is being spent on an organisation and how it is accounted for. I do not know about the extent of the issues raised in the letter. I was made aware of it via the media before Christmas and it certainly made me wonder about the public moneys provided to the GAA and how they are accounted for. The same question will arise when we talk about the prison services, and Government moneys being provided to, for example, the Red Cross for a particular programme. I will be asking questions about how that money is accounted for. It is a legitimate question. I require guidance on whether-----