Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)

It is understandable that, facing into a further five years in opposition, Fine Gael and the Labour Party would like to overturn the result of the recent election and destabilise one of the most popular Taoisigh ever. There is no adequate explanation as to why, if they felt this way previously, they did not take a stronger line, except that the people would not have liked it.

As far as the tribunal is concerned, if one employs a dog to bark, one should not bark oneself. Taoisigh and Governments, present and future, should respect the separation of powers and not press the override button.

As has been pointed out, Fine Gael has not won an election in 25 years and it is seeking instead a repeat of the deus ex machina — something similar to the article in The Irish Times, relating to an obscure legal point, which succeeded in dislodging the Government that was to have been formed on Monday, 5 December 1994. The said article showed that, for obscure legal reasons which did not subsequently stack up, Fianna Fáil was unfit for office.

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