James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)

I am willing to give the Peter McVerry Trust the benefit of the doubt regarding what it has put in its correspondence and its sincerely held view that it has nothing further to add to our inquiries. However, we have several questions that we want it to answer on foot of the reports that have been published and the work the Comptroller and Auditor General has done. We are using this forum in public session to appeal to the good sense of those who are part of the new governance structures that are now within the Peter McVerry Trust to come before the committee.

I am a former Dublin City Council councillor, as is Deputy McAuliffe. I served on its homelessness subcommittee for five years. I fully recognise that the Peter McVerry Trust, almost alone, is delivering the Housing First programme, but that does not in any way obfuscate or overcome the serious financial irregularities and governance structure failings that been identified in the reports. Most of the public who are watching or listening want to have confidence and trust in the Peter McVerry Trust, but are aghast at the idea that an entity that receives so much money from the taxpayer essentially will not come before the committee of the Oireachtas that accounts for the taxpayer. I urge it to reconsider this decision. As Deputy McAuliffe said, it gave a different explanation to the media from what was given in the letter. We are simply asking for the trust to come before this Oireachtas committee at the earliest possible opportunity. We will make that date available.