Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

If senior officials or a body advises the Minister not to proceed in a particular fashion there has to be some reason because presumably the Minister erred on the side of safety to reassure the public, insofar as it can be done, which is a big issue as far as we are concerned because the public asks us questions. People do not always respond kindly if we cannot give adequate answers. It does not really sit well with them if we say we have not been able to get a straight answer to their question. The question of who gave the advice and on what basis remains. We need to be clear about that. It is our job to try to convey to the public that we know to some degree why this happened.