John O'Donoghue (Kerry South, Fianna Fail)

It is possible that the converse could occur. The chief executive of the authority, with a view to ingratiating himself or herself to the Government of the day, might decide to tell the committee that the authority has money in abundance when he or she knows quite well that it does not. Surely this is the converse of the argument made by Senator Quinn. It is never desirable for a chief executive who is charged with the implementation of Government policy to be at liberty to criticise it. It reminds me of an old song: it does not work in politics.