Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr Gleeson for presenting to the committee. I go back to the issue of the derogation by the European Commission in relation to sea fisheries. I am reading a report by Michael Clifford in the Irish Examiner, published a number of weeks ago. It states that an EU investigation reported that "during a four-year period, 33 cases of suspected fraud in relation to fishing quotas were sent to the DPP." It continues:

None of the cases were sent forward for prosecution. The DPP either determined there was insufficient evidence or too much delay in bringing the cases. The EU now wants to examine each of these cases to determine why exactly none were prosecuted.

Was the Department aware of this before the European Commission started an investigation?