Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I should make the point that one of the options discussed at the meeting of 30 October was that an existing Secretary General could possibly move across to the Department of Health by way of transfer. We had a full and open discussion at that meeting and different names were mentioned of existing Secretaries General who may or may not have been suitable or interested in doing it. Mr. Watt was mentioned and I was aware through November that there was a possibility of him being asked to go across to the Department of Health on an interim basis. That is all it was up to that point and no decision had been taken. It was not my decision to take. In the correspondence, members can see that, in a cautious and prudent approach, I took the view that it would be better, in view of the specific salary question-----