Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Did anyone within the Department, including the Minister, receive any expressions of interest from any party once it was clear there was a vacancy? Was there any communication in writing, orally, by phone or by text, with any person who wanted to be considered, as far as Mr. Towey knows? Obviously he cannot speak for the Minister but if it got to Department level at some point there would be a record of it.