Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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1523. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the full cost of the non-statutory State inquiry report into the 2016 Rio Olympic Games ticket matter undertaken by a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37207/17]

Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent)
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The cost of the Moran Inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the receipt, distribution and sale of tickets for the Rio Olympic Games and ancillary matters is €312,765.

I consider that this expenditure represents extremely good value for the taxpayer. A number of important lessons have been learnt from the work of the Moran Inquiry, in particular the unacceptable prioritisation of commerce over competitors, the fact that Pro10 was a cover for THG, the de facto Authorised Ticket Reseller, and the chaotic nature of the service provided to athletes, their families and friends and also the general public. I fully share the Judge's conclusions regarding the lack of fitness for purpose of the service provided and the general absence of effective corporate governance procedures within the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI).

In relation to the non-statutory nature of the Inquiry, I am satisfied that this was the correct course of action to follow. Even if the statutory option had been taken, inevitably at a much higher cost to the taxpayer, there is no reason to believe that those parties that chose not to co-operate would have adopted a different position. The case for the non-statutory approach is also supported by the foreign locations of most of those parties, which would have presented inevitable practical implementation difficulties. Moreover, Judge Moran was given the freedom to escalate to a full Commission of Investigation and his decision not to recommend same is one that I fully support.

In conclusion, the Moran Inquiry Report has performed the valuable service of shining a light on inappropriate behaviour with regard to ticket sales. It has achieved this objective in an efficient and effective manner. The commitment of the newly elected OCI Executive Board to undertake essential governance reforms is a most welcome development, which I believe will ensure a much improved climate for future Olympiad.