Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I hear what the Deputy is saying. In the first instance, MARA is the competent authority and it would have carried out the investigation. It is the one that will be in the dock, so to speak, to defend its decision and it will have to mount a defence. I cannot pre-empt in terms of a particular future court case who or who may not be required to give evidence as part of that process. It is an impossible question for me to make a determination on. What I can say is that as part of the investigations, MARA, being the competent authority, will have assessed complaints, interviews, etc., from any particular stakeholder if it has reported a sanction in a particular area. It is up to MARA to exercise its professional judgment in making a decision of sanction, and everyone has a right to recourse through the courts. That is the independent process that would take place afterwards.