The Department of the Taoiseach was quizzed about what controls were in place for the safekeeping of an €8,000 Rolex watch that was gifted to the Ceann Comhairle.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) contacted the department after it emerged that the valuable item had been kept locked in a safe at Government Buildings for almost two years.
In an email, the C&AG asked if the Department of the Taoiseach had a list of all such high-value gifts, what controls were in place for them, and whether it was listed as the property of the Taoiseach or the Oireachtas.
The Rolex watch remains in storage at the department despite a request by Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl that it be sold, and the proceeds given to Trócaire.
Mr Ó Fearghaíl had been presented the watch on an official trip to the UAE in late 2018 but ethics rules on valuable gifts meant he was not allowed to retain it.