Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

What was the nature of the independent advice given to the board? Could she be more specific about it? What was the nature of the interactions with the Minister or her officials regarding that independent advice? When the Minister appeared before us, she stated that she had been advised by the board that its decision not to publish the report of the operational review was not one it either expected or wanted to make and that it resulted from a lengthy, careful and extensive process of consideration that weighed up the legal risks associated with publication in light of the independent legal advice. We are in the political domain and we perceive that the non-publication of the report could arguably be perceived to be covering up or protecting practice, culture or individuals. We need some reassurance from Professor Kilkelly that the board's independent legal advice is robust and some greater articulation of what Professor Kilkelly means by the implications of that advice.