Mary Upton (Dublin South Central, Labour)
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Question 311: To ask the Minister for Finance if he is satisfied that statements made by his Department over the period 1988 to 1997 regarding a person (details supplied) were accurate and comprehensive; if not, his views on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6584/06]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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It is not my Department's normal practice to make statements on current or former members of staff of the Department. However, my Department was engaged in extended personal correspondence over the period 1988 to 1997 with the person referred to and, on occasion, by her legal advisers. There have also been a number of parliamentary questions in recent years concerning this person and 20 requests for information under the provisions of the freedom of information legislation by the person. In accordance with the exclusion provisions prescribed in the Freedom of Information Acts 1997 and 2003, certain material which must be withheld was not released in response to these requests.

Other than as outlined above, I have no reason to believe that any statement made by my Department in any of these circumstances was not accurate or was not comprehensive.