Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

This needs to be clarified. Did his Secretary General get a warning? Did the Minister's officials get a warning? Was any documentation transferred from Mr. Thomas Lynch, or did he orally say anything to anyone in the Minister's Department about concerns about this? Let us get this clarified once and for all. I have asked this question numerous times and have not got any clarity. If the Minister felt that the original deal, which was announced with such great fanfare, was so good, why did he need to write to St. Vincent's to re-emphasise his view about the ownership issue once this controversy arose? If the deal was so right last year, why did he need to do it?

I have made our party's position clear on numerous occasions in the last few weeks, but I believe this is a seismic moment in our State, where we have an opportunity to take this country forward or to take it ten steps backwards. We need to discuss this whole issue of divestment. This is the up-front and real issue now. This is the example and issue that the Minister is going to have to deal with. We need to come back with the right answer. I ask the Minister to please not deceive me or anyone else and to please not come back in a situation where he is saying that this is part of a bigger picture with regard to divestment. We need answers to this issue alone. The issue of divestment is going to take a long time. We all know that.

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