Mark Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have no problem with that. By way of example, the committee previously held meetings in regard to the coastguard. Under freedom of information, we requested the original draft of a report and compared it with the one presented to a Minister. Everything that was harmful to the people before the committee had been removed from the latter version. We are talking about establishing credibility and confidence. I am concerned by this matter raised by another member. Is the association prepared to provide the committee with the original draft report by Jonathan Hall Associates?

Did the other 12 available accounts cumulatively contain €100,000? The FAI seems to have been anticipating a bill of €100,000. The bill was expected. For how long did the association know the €100,000 was hanging over it and that it did not have the money to meet the debt? What was the bill for? I know the witnesses will not tell us to whom it was payable. Did it relate to infrastructure? Was it money due to a club? Was it to pay staff wages or expenses? A bill of €100,000 is not an everyday occurrence. The association knew for a long time that it was coming, but it did not seem to have €100,000 in the other 12 accounts, seek an overdraft or ring anybody to ask that the bill payment be delayed. It seems to have been an outstanding bill. For how long was it outstanding? For how long did the association know it was coming? How long did it have to pay the bill?

The statement made earlier outlined that Grant Thornton had sight of this. I am not an accountant, but the phraseology used would not be used by accountants. It stated that all cheques issued in the week 28 April 2017 were cashed and presented at the time. It is not just cheques - much of the money dispersed by the FAI would be sent via bank transfer and so on. I do not understand how Grant Thornton would have signed off on that. If this matter was coming to the committee this morning and it had sight of it, it would have pointed out that it is not the phraseology it would have used because in the modern world such firms do not say, "We draw down cheques" or "cheques presented". My concern is that the FAI had a significant amount of money in other accounts but it does not appear to have added up to €100,000 or was earmarked for other commitments. For how long was the €100,000 owed? How long did the FAI have to pay it? For what was the bill? Was it related to infrastructure or a bill from a contractor or club or money due to a competition? Deputy Jonathan O'Brien alluded to that issue. For what was the money owed?