Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am sure they do. I am sure the company is above reproach. Perhaps I have been given false information. I just wanted to get clarification. It would not have arisen back that far. This happened in 2018 or even in early 2019. I will give the witnesses a copy of the response from their colleague and they can come back to me with a more detailed note because it would be a worry if that were the case.

I have one other question which, again, is a bit local. It is about infrastructure. As the witnesses are aware, in the north-west area the Daughters of Wisdom built Cregg House in 1965 and provide care to those with severe to profound intellectual disability. They carried out a tremendous service over the years. More recently, it evolved into the HSE providing the service and the HSE agreed to lease the property until 2020. Cregg House is now for sale on the open market for what I consider to be a very modest guide price, which is not to say that it could not go much higher, depending on what the open market dictates. From local knowledge and having been an auctioneer and valuer, for the HSE to replicate what is on that site would cost between €25 million and €50 million. I do not expect the HSE to declare an interest to all the other competitors who may perhaps be interested in buying this property but from a common-sense perspective the HSE nationally should examine future needs. We are de-segregating residential settings to community settings but from my experience in the constituency one size does not fit all. Some people still need a campus setting. I would hate the HSE and the State to lose the opportunity to buy something which would cost infinitely more if it was seeking to provide it. I do not expect the HSE witnesses to put anything on the record today but perhaps somebody would come back to me in private or at another time and give an indication to me one way or another.