Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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With due respect, an auditor in the private sector does not have that luxury. It must be taken on board. There should be a requirement to report on accounts, whether public or private sector, within a specified period of time. While I accept that improvements have been made, the Department has been given seven years to do it and it should have been possible in a much shorter period. It would not be tolerated by the State from a private company and we cannot apply different standards to the public and private sector. The committee should examine the question.

I wish to raise a legacy issue with Mr. Moran. A site was sold in 1993 for €317,000 to an existing tenant. The sale has not yet been completed due to discrepancies in the boundary of the property. The case could nearly celebrate its 21st birthday party, and during that time no rent has been charged to the individual to whom the property is being sold. How much rent has been lost and why has it taken so long to complete the sale? Of that period, only seven years relates to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. How much was the annual rent on the property? Half of the €317,000, approximately €158,000 - in total approximately €200,000 - has been paid over. The sale was approximately €400,000.