Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 November 2015
260. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine why an adviser (details supplied) was prevented from completing a commonage management plan, despite the adviser representing 80% of the shareholders on the commonage. [41561/15]
View answerThe advisor named was assigned by my Department to prepare the GLAS Commonage Management Plan for the above named commonage. Following subsequent checks, officials in my Department became aware that the advisor named had shares in this commonage which presented a clear conflict of interest which would obviously give rise to questions in the context of audit probity standards. In the circumstances the appointment of this advisor was withdrawn and an alternative advisor was appointed.
