David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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I have one final comment before I go. The reason I stepped out was that I contacted a senior official in the Department of Health to ask if it was reasonable and fair to ask a senior member of the National Ambulance Service if they were in receipt of an allowance. I was told it was. It is not just fair but it is straightforward that if a public servant is in receipt of an allowance it is public information. I say to Mr. Morton that when I hear of a toxic culture in the National Ambulance Service - and people have raised concerns with me about management - and I come into an Oireachtas committee and ask a very straightforward question and not get an answer, I find it unacceptable. We will put it in parliamentary questions and get the answer to it. It is just disappointing it could not be given here at the committee today. As I said, it was a senior civil servant of the Department who confirmed to me it is not unreasonable or unusual for that information to be in the public domain. There is no reason it should not be.