Ms Rachel Downes:

The main area we are talking about here is the quotations received from survivors and the receipts received after payment support has been made. I completely appreciate from where the Comptroller and Auditor General audit is coming. We set out very stringent criteria. If funding support is under €1,000, we look for one quote; if it is between €1,000 and €5,000, we look for two quotes; and if it is over €5,000, we look for three quotes. Where we have challenges is the number of survivors with which we are working and the difficulties they have meeting that criteria, complying with those quotations and getting three quotes. There are a number of instances where we have made a decision that we will accept fewer quotes than we have set out in our criteria in order to facilitate that survivor availing of the service. This is constant challenge that we encounter each year.

We have constant challenges between trying to work with survivors to ensure they can avail of the services with as little difficulty as possible. It is very difficult. We are asking survivors to meet the audit recommendations, to go to three different shops to get three different quotes and come back to Caranua. They might then be told that the quotation is not correct and they need to go again. We will hold our hands up, I completely get-----