Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

The Minister wants us to examine his swearing a false affidavit only from the point where his barrister made an agreement with Councillor Quinlivan's barrister – an agreement duly reported to the court. Councillor Quinlivan's reasons for accepting an amount in damages and his costs in return for agreeing a settlement statement is entirely a matter for him. The issue that affects Deputy O'Dea's fitness to be a Minister is why he swore a false affidavit to the court in the first place, which caused the court to dismiss Mr. Quinlivan's application for an injunction to stop the Minister repeating his charge that Mr. Quinlivan was associated with running a brothel.

Deputy O'Dea swore he never made any such allegation. He maintained this position until the journalist to whom he had peddled this falsehood produced the tapes.

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