Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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I accept what the Minister said about the €61 million in 2017 and those issues. I will go through some minutes that would raise other concerns relating to other issues. We know that this is a serious escalation. The Minister told us that he was shocked in late August, and, to be polite, "annoyed". He had budget negotiations going on in parallel. He looked for meetings with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, which had somebody on the board. He could not get a meeting. To the public watching, this is "Father Ted" territory. The idea that it would not sit down and that there was not awareness across the two Departments that this was a significant issue and that they could not have a meeting beggars belief. I accept what Mr. Breslin said about 9 November and the meetings. I have gone through all that and understand it. Given that the Department and Minister were aware of it, the idea that it took that long to have a meeting beggars belief and throws up a whole new set of issues.