Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will probably come back to that because there is a situation in the Department of Health in which someone gave us vast amounts of information that was critical to how we understand funding and how Departments spend money, and that individual was suspended for doing a public service. It is beyond me that following the “RTÉ Investigates” programme nothing happens.

Mr. Doyle agrees with me anyway that senior officials are fully vetted, they have to be of the highest integrity, trustworthy and honest in their dealings. I will revert to the three councils mentioned in the report at another time. Mr. Doyle said that he has nothing to do with that, so I will ask him a question. If a chief executive position were to become available in a local authority and the only eligible candidate with all the credentials who could be given the job is, unfortunately, a convicted rapist or mass murderer, would Mr. Doyle give him the job?

That is a very binary question and requires a yes-no answer. I am talking about someone who has all the credentials, is eligible and is entitled to it for all the right reasons except that. I ask Mr. Doyle to answer "Yes" or "No".