John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)

Absolutely. It is very clear that the Arts Council does extremely important work.

Turning to the presenting of the accounts, the timeframe in terms of the Comptroller and Auditor General signing off on them and the failure to present them to the Houses, a rationale was given for that. The point was in this regard was put, I think, but I will put it again - perhaps in stronger terms - because there is a perception out there that they were hidden from the view of the public because of the general election. I put the charge that they were suppressed from public view for political reasons in light of the serious and sensitive nature of those accounts in the face of an election.