Mr. Seamus McCarthy:

May I comment on two items? To go back to Deputy Geoghegan about the settlement with the former director general of Science Foundation Ireland, I mentioned the components of the net cost of the settlement with the former director general. In addition, there was an expenditure of €59,000 paid to Maynooth University, from which he was seconded, in lieu of the notice period. The net €350,000 plus the €59,000 brings you to the €409,000 I referred to in the certificate. I apologise; I had just forgotten that point.

The second thing is that the school meals programme is funded by the Department of Social Protection so, if there are queries in that regard, they should be directed to that Department rather than to the Department of education.