Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On the topic we have been discussing, could what is on the screen be scrolled up slightly? There was a heading, "Valuations Comparison", but I cannot see it now. We came across this with the Office of Public Works, OPW, when people had made information available to Deputy Kelly and I in advance of the meeting and we were able to ask certain questions. With regard to the Comptroller and Auditor General examining issues, it seems that moves are determined at a high level on whether a site works and a decision is made to buy it. For example, a decision was made that Miesian Plaza worked for the Department of Health. This is at a policy level where there is no expertise other than identifying a need, such as the Department of Education and Skills requiring a site for two schools in Harold's Cross, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine needing €20 million because of a problem with Bord na gCon and the OPW needing a new building for the Department of Health at Miesian Plaza. Then it goes to the various experts. While it might not be stated, they retrofit the case to fit the outcome determined at the top. I doubt that we will prove any malpractice. However, I know from being contacted some weeks ago by a journalist fromThe Irish Timeswho had made a freedom of information request seeking much of the same material the Chairman is going to seek that approximately 20 comparisons were provided and that there the sites were identified in only four instances. One of them related to the land at RTÉ in Dublin 4. That is like stating that land in Sligo was sold at the same time. Dublin 4 and Harold's Cross do not even involve the same sports and nor are they in the same league or ballpark. The reality is that, in Ireland and Britain, Savills is the go to evaluator. Before the deal was finalised, I asked who valued the property and I was told it was Savills. I asked for the valuation and was told I could not get it because the information was sensitive. The only thing that made the information sensitive was that it had the potential to block a deal going ahead for, arguably, €10 million more than should have been the case. I wish the Chairman best of luck.