David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. McCarthy. My final question is to Mr. Ó Foghlú and relates to the Act, which underpins the work of the ETBs. I imagine he would agree with the observations made by the Comptroller and Auditor General and me in this matter. There were two supplementary reports, one of which related to the VECs, although there was some crossover with the issues that emerged at the Kildare and Wicklow ETB in 2015. Dr. Thorn, who was appointed by the Department, published a report that made findings that were of considerable concern to the Department and the Committee of Public Accounts. There was also the Comptroller and Auditor General’s report and a criminal investigation, which we obviously cannot discuss. Through all of that process, how did an individual get redeployed and why were the powers of suspension and removal never acted on? Notwithstanding the criminal investigation that is ongoing, is that a reasonable question to ask given that the Act was designed to ensure that power was available?