Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I know we need to bring this to a conclusion and I know people have varying views as to the quality of the second half of this meeting but this is a secondary concern. The fact is that during public session a very troubling possibility raised its head in respect of interference. I am not in a position to adjudicate as to the rightness or wrongness of it, but it has happened. As a committee we need to ask for a response to this. I certainly feel very strongly in this regard. I am not a Government Deputy. Like others I come here to carry out my function week on week. I want to know that if there has been any funny business, and I am not in a position to say whether this is correct or not, at a minimum it will cease and get reassurance from the Administration there will not be any future episodes of this kind. This is a separate concern to the specific issues Deputy McGuinness had to answer here today. There are two concerns. I feel the committee should request this assurance from the Administration, whether one is a Government or Opposition Deputy. I feel very strongly on this. Things have been said here which are on the public record now and they demand response.