Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 January 2010
1028 Deputy Ruairí Quinn asked the Minister for Education and Science the reason his officials (details supplied) failed to attend a meeting organised by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform on 14 December 2009; the further reasons he did not take this issue seriously; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48570/09]
View answerAt the outset,I wish to refute the Deputy's suggestion that the inadvertent non-attendance of my officials at the meeting in question was not taken seriously. The non-attendance of my official arose from a diary mix-up. Once aware of the error, the official concerned contacted the representative from the Justice for Magdalene group to explain the position and, if possible, to arrange another meeting. As the representative in question was travelling back to the United States early the following morning, the only available time was a fifteen minute slot a short time later that evening between other scheduled meetings. As the official in question is based in Athlone it wasn't logistically feasible to meet that evening. My official offered to meet with the representative at the earliest possible juncture on his next visit to Ireland and this offer remains open.
