Colm Brophy (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There are very strict guidelines on this. There is nothing to prevent Professor FitzGerald or the ESRI commenting on it but my understanding of the rules by which this committee operates is that departmental officials do not comment on policy. They do not advocate or comment on policy but inform committees on positions that are departmental policy. That is my understanding of the rules. That is the only reason I interjected. There is no problem at all with other witnesses commenting on the matter.