Mr. Darragh O'Loughlin:

That did not happen in this case. The report is clear and we are all clear that what happened should not have happened. The Leas-Chathaoirleach's question remains valid, and we are asking it ourselves. Given that, as we discussed, our resources are not overly plentiful and should be applied to regulating horse racing, which we exist to do, we have to ask if it is appropriate that we are using our time and people to provide administration services for charities and ending up in a situation such as this. I am satisfied that we would not end up in this situation again but it happened and we have to ask if that is the right model. It would not be right for us to simply cut those charities adrift. That cannot happen. They do not have employees. We are doing the work for them.

I have already undertaken discussions with the Department to the effect that in the new year we have to go back and look at the effectiveness of what we are doing and how we are doing it. We need to come up with a model that is sustainable and that provides the right level of accountability, transparency and safeguards. I imagine we will be invited back here this time next year and I will report at that stage on what we have done in the intervening period to strengthen governance and make sure we have the right level of segregation between entities and accounts, which I think the Leas-Chathaoirleach is hoping to see.