Mr. Robert Watt:

When allegations of the type that were made are made, Departments are allowed, as I am being allowed today, the opportunity to respond to those allegations. I was disappointed that people basically assumed the allegations were correct without accepting the bona fides of the Department or reading the material that had been made available. I have not spoken to Niall Muldoon but I have corresponded with him: a fairly standard letter saying the allegations are not correct and that we do not accept them and setting out the context. I corresponded with him because I thought it was appropriate to do so.