Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

I do not want to add to the suffering of the individual who was so wronged by the State by dragging him into this matter. Clearly, the individual in question must know how the offer was communicated and who communicated it, if not who was behind the making of the offer. It may have come through lawyers but, as I do not know the facts, it is a matter I will have to examine.

Before I appoint people to make these inquiries, I should make preliminary inquiries to ascertain whether there is a simple explanation for this and whether a simple identification of who was involved is possible. Rather than establishing a formal inquiry, I would prefer to make informal inquiries to see whether I can get to the bottom of this allegation, which I regard as grave.

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