Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I am glad the Chairman raised it. I did not read the report. I just glanced at it today and saw that. I had it marked. I brought in the report with me. It is not up for discussion today but I am glad the Chairman raised it because it ties in with the conclusions made. It seems to me that PwC was never asked to make conclusions. It was given terms of reference to look at governance and other matters, on which it made recommendations.

On page 8 the word "conclusion" jumps off the page. I wonder about it as I do not see it relating to the terms of reference. What is particularly interesting is that at the bottom they say, "At this point, taking any alternative course of action other than continuing would in all likelihood result in significant delay". They conclude that one should not go a different route, but that had been decided in the document to which the Chairman referred with input from them at that point. That is a serious issue. I agree with the Chairman. I do not know if that conclusion should be there in the first place but it is a very different forum or may be the next time we discuss it. Certainly, they are reinforcing what they had apparently said when they gave advice, subject to reading the report.