John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
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Having looked at this matter and listened to everybody, I wish to make a suggestion. This is the first application that has been, or first applications that have been, made with regard to compellability. Therefore, it is not that surprising that the CPP would have questions with regard to an application and details. Why not take it up on the points we have made? With regard to the detail that it thinks we have not supplied, we could ask it to reconvene, get the information to it within the specified period and ask it to make a decision.

There is one point of its analysis with which I disagree. It talked about the Committee of Public Accounts having taken evidence from, for example, the Accounting Officer of the HSE. The CPP did not mention the fact that Mr. O'Brien tried to give the information to the committee but, on re-reading the Act, it was found to be the case that we needed to be in compellability mode. It was the HSE which desired to give the information to the committee. However, we should not jump to conclusions. At the very least we should deal with the issues the CPP has raised, ask it to reconvene, give it a specified period and see what kind of a response it gives, if we furnish it with the information.