Ms Oonagh Buckley:

One of the internal reports to which the Deputy referred was into an individual in the organisation. The other report is one that was conducted on a paper-based exercise by colleagues in An Bord Pleanála. I received legal advice that neither the board nor I should publish it. That report was always intended as the first stage in a process. I have started the second stage of the process, which is to conduct an external investigation comprising the same role but involving interviews with people. If there are issues raised from the papers, those issues will be put to the individuals in question and they will be allowed an opportunity to respond.

On foot of that, I expect to get recommendations from Ms Lynch as to possible next steps that might be taken. There may be none. There may just be recommendations about how to improve the processes in An Bord Pleanála. If that is the outcome, I will be able to publish the report straight away. However, if, on foot of her investigation, Ms Lynch recommends that further steps be taken, whether disciplinary steps, referral to the Minister in the case of a serving board member or referral to another external authority, I will have to do that. In those circumstances, it could cause problems for the subsequent investigation and process if the report were to be published at that stage. I do not have any problem publishing any report as long as my legal advice is that I can publish, in which case I will do so.

The Deputy referred to a ministerial report. There was a ministerial action plan that has been published. Is he talking about the Remy Farrell investigation?