Cowen open to debate on Lost at Sea scheme report

TAOISEACH BRIAN Cowen said he had no objection to an Oireachtas committee debating Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly’s report on the Lost at Sea scheme.

“If people want to deal with the report in a proper fashion before a committee of the House, I for one am not in the business of blocking what committees want to do,” he said.

Mr Cowen said that “the charges that were made against the relevant deputy were unfounded”. However, he added, “for political reasons, members of this House are making efforts to ensure that the matter remains in the public domain and it is they who keep uttering jibes”.

Labour’s Pat Rabbitte said that it was the Ombudsman who had made certain statements about the matter. Mr Cowen said that if the ombudsman wanted to come before a committee, that was fine.

“I am not involved in a confrontation with the ombudsman and nor have I any interest in becoming so involved,” he added.

Labour leader Eamon Gilmore said it was clear that the ombudsman was unhappy with regard to the way in which the matter had been handled.

The scheme was the initiative of the then minister for the marine Frank Fahey who has maintained that no monetary value attached to replacement capacity awarded. He has also said that that recipients were prohibited from transferring the capacity to others.

Mr Fahey, a Fianna Fáil TD for Galway West, said he would welcome the opportunity to discuss the scheme at the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.