Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

Will the Minister confirm the workability of public private partnership schemes? Is it true they have become extremely intricate from the point of view of private participation? Has this intricacy impacted in any way on this enterprise and proposal? With the points raised by Deputies Quinn and Gormley, I wish to ask the Minister as a matter of curiosity in what context did he convey to his colleague in government the perceived outcome of the project at the time and what was his reaction? Was he disappointed? Was the Minister disappointed? Did they slap each other on the back and say it was wonderful?

I do not ask the Minister to divulge Cabinet secrets. Other colleagues would have been equally interested in the outcome. I ask for my own reasons. I detected a certain reluctance to answer questions on a different matter to which I drew the House's attention this morning.

See this speech in context