Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister and the Secretary General for coming before us in such a timely manner. I know we requested the meeting. We thought it would be the end of February by the time we got to meet the witnesses and get to discuss the report. The co-operation shown to the committee should be acknowledged.

Winning a seat on the UN Security Council was clearly amazing, and I would hate to see any deflection from that achievement. The Department has done an amazing job in that respect and put some serious work into winning that seat by putting time into building relations. We should not take away from that. As a committee we are always very proud to say we have a seat on the UN Security Council and when we meet any group before us, we acknowledge that we have the seat. If there is anything the committee can do to liaise with our representative, we want to do that and we use that line and link with our representative on a daily basis.

One aspect of the report shocked me, specifically that a person could donate €2,000 and receive absolution. Many people during the Covid-19 pandemic had loved ones pass away and they did not have people at the funerals. Loved ones sat outside churches because they could not go inside because of restrictions. If any of those people could have paid €2,000 to have a normal funeral, they would have done so. That sticks in the craw of many people. I do not know how the figure came to pass and whether it was a contribution or fine. If senior managers had refused to pay it would there have been a sanction? That is a question for the current Secretary General. Is there precedent in the Department to fine or sanction senior members of the Department for breaches of internal employment regulations?

I do not mean to sound glib but when the Minister addressed the group, was anybody drinking alcohol? The report indicates that the people grouped together for a moment for the picture and then dispersed immediately. When the Minister addressed them, were the people in a group? Did he address a dispersed group? I do not want to put words in the Minister's mouth. Did he have a drink to celebrate?