Annie Hoey (Labour) | Oireachtas source

That is fair enough. I have been reading through the Attorney General's report. Mr. Watt may again say he has nothing to add on this, but if the State had such a robust defence I cannot quite marry the two together. Maybe I am repeating things that have been said, that is, that the only reason there were all the settlements was there was not actually as robust a defence as we have been led to believe. In Mr. Watt's opinion, why did the State not do it? Is it just because it was protecting the public purse or protecting the State from opening itself up to other cases? Obviously, once it goes to court then parties open themselves up to other things.

Many of those I have spoken to are struggling to understand the State's sharp defence of saying it was right in what it was doing yet not letting cases reach court. There is not quite a full understanding of it.