Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chairman and members for allowing me to join the committee. It is nice to exchange with Mr. Watt once again. It is a year since we had our first exchange on this issue. It was at the health committee. I recall the Chairman of that committee and indeed other members wanting to have my comments withdrawn from the record and to disassociate themselves. It is ironic that a year later, here we are, having been proved correct in calling it out for what it was. I said that day that this was the retro-engineering of a position for somebody without central Government approval.

I have listened to you. I was not going to come down and I am grateful to the committee for allowing me some time. I listened to you earlier totally rubbish the contribution and independent investigation of somebody with a global reputation in governance and simply decide not to accept the findings. It is, "Tony this, Martin that, Tony the other and Martin the next thing." You said you have not broken any protocols. What specifically in any of the three Acts - 1954, 1997 or 2004 or whatever the year - endows you with the plenipotentiary authority to unilaterally spend €20 million over ten years?