Marc MacSharry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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This is not a separation of powers. There might have been political argy-bargy, or it might have been interpreted as such, but it is not our fault it ended up being the only issue in the presidential campaign. It was a fairly dead campaign anyway. I voted for the incumbent, so it is not about that any more than it is about Douglas Hyde. The Department is coming back with the usual statement that it has been noted. For the Department, "note" is just another word for a rejection, because that is what it is doing. The Department is saying it is not accepting this, and wishing us good luck. We need to have some amount of money that is available to the President for him or her to do with what he or she wants. I do not have a problem with that. It is great that there is an independent internal committee, and I have looked on the website too, but those are broad brush strokes. I first raised this before the presidential election, and I am not saying that we necessarily want to see what every shilling was spent on, but I would be happy if the Comptroller and Auditor General did. It might not be for public consumption, but if the Comptroller and Auditor General is able to say that he has audited it and is happy, that is enough. On that basis, I might, perhaps in a private capacity, consider an amendment to the Presidential Establishment Act.