Examination of Witnesses (Questions 40
- 41)
MONDAY 28 NOVEMBER 2005
MR WILLIAM
YOUNG, MR
PETER COSGROVE,
SIR KENNETH
BLOOMFIELD, MR
FINBAR MCCALLION
AND DR
HUGH MORRISON
Q40 Chairman: We can all give anecdotal
evidence of that. You talked about bright and dim. I think we
have got bright on this side of the table and very much brighter
on that. Thank you very much indeed for your evidence. I know
that there will be points that you will wish to have made and
you must feel completely free, Mr Young and all your colleagues,
to send us supplementary evidence, and we may well wish to send
you some questions to which we want answers when we have our private
deliberative session. I am sorry that this has, by the very nature
of things, had to be a relatively brief session, but you have
put your case with panache and based on a lot of experience and
we are very grateful to you.
Mr Young: Finally, two very important
areas that I had hoped we would get on to were population figures
and projections given in Costello that are totally wrong and,
secondly, no costing. That is a very serious matter. Both those
we have not talked about but your committee need to look at that.
Q41 Chairman: Indeed, and you must
send us that information. Any information that you feel has not
been adequately put or put at all you must feel free to send to
us and we will look at it. We are very grateful to all five of
you gentlemen.
Sir Kenneth Bloomfield: Chairman,
one last word. We are so grateful to be heard. We feel at times
we have been engaged in a dialogue of the deaf. We plead not to
be overtaken by events. It would really be extraordinary when
you have been taking this evidence from us if early next month
we have some binding decision taken by the Minister and the whole
thing proves to have been a waste of time. We sincerely hope that
is not going to happen.
Chairman: We hope so too. The Minister
is coming before the committee on 14 December. There is a draft
order going to be published for consultation. I am assured it
is indeed a draft order for consultation and this committee will
certainly treat it as a draft order for consultation. We shall
want to make representations to the Minister based on what we
have heard. I cannot tell you what representations the committee
will make because we shall want to hear the other witnesses today
and we shall want to deliberate among ourselves. You have put
up a very good show, if I may say so. Thank you very much indeed
for coming.
| 
