Niall Collins (Limerick County, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It is simply not the case that the figures cited by the IDA are the programme's outcome. As the Minister knows, the Oireachtas committee held a full session on this matter on Tuesday, and it was disrespectful to the Houses of the Oireachtas that the IDA failed to appear. It did not give an adequate reason for that. There is a dispute, but there is no litigation and the matter is not sub judice.

I implore the Minister. There is a precedent for extending the contract. There is no reason for it not being extended for a further three to six months in order to allow the review to be conducted and the programme to continue. Arthur Cox has confirmed that it "is both legally permissible and entirely appropriate in the circumstances; and we cannot identify any legal impediment whatsoever to the IDA doing so".

The Government devised what was a very good initiative and we support it, but we want to see it continued. Will the Minister please see common sense and find a mechanism to allow for that while the review is under way?

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