Ned O'Sullivan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will. I have just two brief questions. The presenter of the show, Pat Kenny, is an eminent broadcaster, one of the best we have ever had and a man for whom I have great respect. I would imagine the role he would play in the programme would be similar to that of a conductor of an orchestra, conducting a symphony. Once the music starts, the conductor is in charge. All the preparation and the people in the background are out of the equation. A conductor will always know at some stage of the show whether the fiddle is out of tune or the brass section is coming in late. It surprises me that Pat Kenny did not sense that something very wrong was going on and attempt to rectify it. I want to know whether the presenter had the latitude to make up for the lacunae, which was visible to the viewing public?

I disagree with Mr. Curran, but I think the tweet was a serious game-changer. We are in politics long enough to know that one does not get swings of that magnitude overnight. Something must cause the swing. It was quite clear to most people that Mr. Gallagher was on course to win that election. Bearing in mind the importance and significance of the role of the President and that his election must be above suspicion or reproach, not casting any aspersions on the winner, it would be important that nobody could have an input that would be catastrophic to one candidate and kind to another. However, that happened. Has it occurred to anybody at senior or board level or to the chairman of the board that there should be resignations? The people would welcome that. That is a question that should be addressed.