Paul Bradford (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome our visitors. I express my disappointment that the Minister is not here. I find this bizarre.

I want to take up the question raised by my colleague, Deputy Billy Timmins, which Dr. Holohan may not have had time to answer. It is a very important question relating to the expert group. We are here because of the decisions taken by the expert group, of which Dr. Holohan was a member. The expert group was given three terms of reference, which gave it a broad spectrum of decision-making powers, yet in its report as presented by Mr. Justice Ryan, it is indicated that the Minister had provided only one briefing for the group in which the solution or solutions the group could offer were confined. I ask Dr. Holohan to clarify the position. I have tried to clarify it directly with the Minister at the parliamentary party meeting. Apparently, there has been a parliamentary question. Was the expert group advised or briefed on the type of solution it would bring forward? The terms of reference are broad, yet we have been advised of this briefing by the Minister that the answer would have to be within the confines of the X case judgment. It is very important that we know. We are debating the heads of the Bill because of the expert group's report. I am worried that the expert group's hands were tied in order to bring about a pre-designed answer. Dr. Holohan sat at the table. I want him to tell me that this is not the case and then to explain why these remarks are included in the report from Mr. Justice Ryan about that briefing.