Mr. Robert Watt:

I do not have anything to say publicly about these matters. I presume the flexitime system is the same system we have across other offices and Departments. We can check that but I imagine it is the same system that operates in our Department. Many staff have to clock in and clock out and a record is kept of that. That is used for attendance management by HR and line managers. It is a system that has been in place for a long time. In our Department, a record is kept because that is required to reconcile flexitime allowances and so on and I would guess it is the same for staff in the Oireachtas. Mr. David Cagney knows more about it that do I but if people infringe on that, a conversation with the HR manager follows and so on. I have nothing further to add on how Deputies go about their business or about how this place operates. I have nothing whatsoever to say on that. I would like to stress it is independent of us. We are reminded each year that the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission is independent of our Department. I would probably be fired if I said anything.