Mr. Brian Kavanagh:

"Yes" is the answer to the latter question. That letter was drafted after my appointment. It was written in September. I draft letters for the chairman as a matter of course, both the current chairman and previous chairmen. That is a normal way that chairman-chief executive relationships work. The letter the Deputy is referring to was a letter from my chairman to reflect a board decision. I do not have the detail to hand but in terms of the sequencing of things, my appointment was approved by the board at a July board meeting, which I think was 21 July. I am well aware, as was the chairman, that it was a function of the board to appoint the chief executive. I was not in the room at the time but there was a long debate at that board meeting about the appointment and ultimately the appointment was approved. I am speaking from memory because I do not have the record in front of me. There were at least two board meetings in September at which the board reconfirmed the appointment. At the second of those board meetings, there was an instruction to issue a statement to the media and write to the Minister to outline the decisions that were taken. That is the letter the Deputy is referring to. It was to reflect a decision that had already been taken by the board. The chairman was not bypassing the role of the board.

That was certainly not anyone's intention. That letter largely reflected what was in a press statement agreed unanimously by the board at its meeting. I cannot remember the specific date. I believe it was around 11 September or 12 September. A press statement was issued thereafter that was actually drafted by the board itself. It finalised the wording. The letter was to update the Minister, Deputy Creed, on the situation. I believe it was before he was coming before this committee. It was drafted by me and signed off by the chairman and deputy chairman on behalf of the board.