Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)

I am especially concerned about this issue, which is why I tabled amendments Nos. 69 and 71. When a chief executive officer is asked to come before the Committee of Public Accounts, given the visible nature of the committee in terms of the media reportage and the public eye, it is important it is seen to be as transparent as possible. The acceptance of amendments Nos. 69 and 71 would allow for a specific question of a relevant nature to be asked by a member of the committee. The witness would not be asked to give a general opinion but, as Deputy Enright noted, we increasingly need to know the circumstances surrounding specific information, and we might need to understand the opinion itself.

As members of the Committee of Public Accounts, we should be able to ask for and receive a response which may be an opinion but which would shed light. In that context, the Minister should take into consideration that members of the committee have a certain responsibility and would not ask spurious questions or score political points above and beyond the normal day-to-day points scoring that takes place in these Houses.

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