Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 8 February 2022

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence

Review of Workplace Arrangements: Department of Foreign Affairs

Photo of Gary GannonGary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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With the greatest of respect to Mr. Hackett, I intend to stick to the date in question. I understand the great work that is done but we would not be given the courtesy to depart from the topic. We do not doubt for a second the great work the Department does. I did not question whether there is a culture of drinking in the Department but Mr. Hackett did evoke the image of champagne sitting in a fridge for a retirement party. Given that this was a review limited to 17 June, is he aware of any other occasions during the period of lockdown when that champagne was removed from the fridge for a retirement party or for any other occasion and does he think that would be an omission from the report that will, again, raise questions?