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

This letter followed the Department's last appearance before the committee. I appreciate that there has been a change of personnel, but this is our first and only opportunity to ask this question. The letter from the then Secretary General said that one private company was paid €9,586.59 in 2011 and €8,641.68 in 2012. A second company was paid €10,774.12 in 2011. Ms McPhillips's predecessor stated that it was not possible from the information available to determine if these payments related to the surveillance of prison staff. If Ms McPhillips does not have the information today, I ask her to come back to us a specific answer.