John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)

I want to comment on some of the serious failings of the State that a number of members have alluded to. First, I pass on my condolences to the family of the young Ukrainian man who was brutally murdered while in State care in what could be perceived as, and we mentioned this previously in our engagement with Tusla, a questionable usage of unregulated accommodation. There was a gross failure there and it is something the committee intends to follow up on with Tusla and to express serious concerns. My thoughts go to the family and the ten-year-old child who was allegedly brutally sexually assaulted. My thoughts are with the child and the child's family. Again, this was a serious failure of the State on so many different levels. While I understand the huge level of concern among members of the public about these serious failings, I do not think there is any justification for anyone violently engaging to express those concerns they have or attacking members of An Garda Síochána. There are other ways for members of the public to express their concerns and fears and people should be going down those routes. However, here has been a serious failure of the State in regard to these issues.

I commend the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General for a considerable piece of work in the chapter on IPAS expenditure. I believe that the work went on for nearly a year so I commend the team on that work. Certainly, the chapter is damning and has put a spotlight on huge expenditure with a real lack of due diligence and payment controls. It feeds into a perception of many members of the public that money was being poured into an area without the proper oversight or governance, so we are here today to discuss that.

I have read through the witnesses' opening statements and I have heard them here again today. Do you think the C and AG's report is damning?