Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

With regard to the technological university for the south east, I have been to Waterford Institute of Technology and Institute of Technology Carlow as Taoiseach where I met the senior management teams and encouraged, cajoled and impressed on them my desire to get this done and the Government's commitment to the project. One of my special advisers has a particular remit to try to get this over the line, working with the Minister of State, Deputy Mitchell O'Connor, and the Minister, Deputy McHugh. I am determined that we will get it done. It appears that Munster will have its application in before the south east which is great for Munster but very disappointing for the south east.

The Commissions of Investigation Act was intended to do exactly as the Chairman suggested for commissions of inquiry. At one stage, we had many tribunals running at considerable cost and for a long time. I accept that some were necessary inquiries that did good work but they took a long time and cost a lot of money. There was a view that commissions of inquiry would work better and to a significant extent they have worked better. However, they are also imperfect and there have been delays in many of them. The ideal inquiry, which everybody wants, is one that is quick, takes place in public and does not cost a large amount. I am not sure if that is achievable in the real world. If something involves findings of fact or potentially significant damage to people's reputations, people have a right to legal representation and to recourse to the courts. The utopian perfect inquiry is one that is in public, inexpensive and does not take years. I am not sure that is always achievable or if anyone has ever achieved it.