Mr. Seamus McCarthy:

The Deputy started by referencing the companies that deliver dividends to the Exchequer and those do not come within my remit. They would be what are called commercial State bodies and I do not generally audit commercial State bodies. What I would be auditing is generally what are called the State agencies or non-commercial State bodies. Some of them are legally organised as companies but, effectively, they are heavily dependent on Exchequer funding, and that is why they fall to my remit.