Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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24. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when he will publish the Moran inquiry into the OCI ticketing process; and his views that this long delay is not acceptable. [30504/17]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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When will the Minister publish the report of the Moran inquiry into the OCI ticketing fiasco and can he explain why there is such a long delay in its publication? Is he happy about this delay? When will the House and the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport have an opportunity to debate the findings of this report, as originally promised when this inquiry was established?

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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That is a very fair question from Deputy Troy. I can only say I am as impatient as he is to see and publish it.

Judge Moran presented his report to officials of my Department  on Monday, 12 June 2017. For reasons, which I will now outline to the Deputy, neither I nor Ministers of State O'Donovan and Griffin have yet seen Judge Moran's report.

On the preceding Thursday, 8 June 2017, one of the parties who is referred to in the Report raised certain legal matters by way of letters to me as Minister, the previous Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, and the Attorney General. These matters relate to due process and natural justice and reference is made to a number of points of Brazilian law. The matters raised by that party, along with the contents of Judge Moran's report, are currently being considered by the Office of the Attorney General. I have decided that the most appropriate course of action is to defer my consideration of the judge's report until the Office of the Attorney General has completed its consideration.

Following consultation between officials in my Department and the Attorney General's office, it was agreed that it would be prudent to seek independent legal advice from Brazil. When that independent advice is received, expected in the coming days, the Attorney General's office should be in a position to finalise its advice.

In respect of the publication of the Moran inquiry report, the timing of its publication will be subject to consideration of that legal advice. While I accept that the inquiry has taken longer than expected, anticipated or wished, the matters at issue are complex. It is my considered view that a thorough, deliberative approach must be followed but I would like to assure the Deputy that I am disposed to publication of this report at the earliest possible date.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister says he is as impatient as I but the only difference between us is that he is in a position to do something about it, I am not. He is the Minister. This inquiry was established as a non-statutory inquiry because the Minister told us all stakeholders signed up to participate in this inquiry freely and fully. If all stakeholders signed up to participate freely and fully, why now are some of them trying to thwart the publication of this report, as we are led to believe? It is almost ten months since the process commenced although originally it should have taken 12 weeks. The criminal investigation is on the other side of the world. Is the Minister saying that an investigation in another jurisdiction prevents us from publishing this report? Have the Brazilian authorities written to the Department asking it not to publish the report?

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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Deputy Troy is quite right I am in a position to publish the report if I wish to and if I thought it was wise. I think it would be extraordinarily foolish in light of what the Deputy has already heard to publish this report having referred it to the Attorney General. It is absolutely incumbent on me to seek the advice of the Attorney General when we receive correspondence of that sort. It is, however, my intention and my wish to publish it and I am not in any way hesitating to do so, I am just taking what I think is a prudent course so that we should not in any way affect things which will happen on the other side of the world.

Did the Deputy ask have we received any information from the Brazilian lawyer suggesting we do not publish the report?

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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The Brazilian authorities.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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Not to the best of my knowledge. I think we are expecting a communication from Brazil in the next day or two. I do not think we have received anything of that sort at all.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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The purpose of the non-statutory inquiry was that everyone agreed to participate. There was no need for a statutory inquiry. The non-statutory inquiry was established to be short and efficient. Everyone was going to play their part but obviously they are not doing so and the Minister's decision to establish the non-statutory inquiry was the wrong decision.

Is the OCI's budget for this year being held up pending the outcome of the publication of the report? What legal costs has the OCI incurred to date as a result of this inquiry and how is this affecting funding for athletes? It is not fair and I fail to see how an investigation on the other side of the world should prevent publication of this report.

This report is about more than one individual. It is about, and goes to the very heart of, the administration of sport by a public body. The new officers elected at the OCI wish to see the report published so that they can implement its recommendations and move on to restore confidence in a worthy body in which trust has been eroded by the actions of a number of people over the past few years.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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If I were to do something imprudent which affected the administration of justice in any part of the world, not just in Ireland, Deputy Troy would be the first person down my throat saying how foolish a thing it was to do.

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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They have not asked the Minister not to publish it.

Declan Breathnach (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Minister should be allowed to speak without interruption.

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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Deputy Troy has asked the question, if I may reply. We have to make a judgment on this and wait for the advice of the Attorney General. That is something for which I am prepared to wait and it is imminent.

I will also answer the Deputy's question on the budget of OCI. This is a matter for Sport Ireland but I will tell the Deputy what I know about it. I think it is in the public arena. Sport Ireland has not funded the OCI because it is also waiting for the publication of the report. Sport Ireland has made that clear publicly. If it has not, I am telling the Deputy right now. That is the position. Obviously, we would have to look at it again at some stage if the report were not published. For the moment, however, let us just see if we can get the report out into the open. That is our objective.