Thomas Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Constitution is often cited by officialdom as the reason things cannot be done. It is cited regularly when we table Private Members' business. As Shakespear said, "The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose," officialdom in Ireland - I am not including the Office of the Financial Services Ombudsman, Mr. Prasifka in "officialdom" - can cite the Constitution for its own purposes. The question is not the law, because I am familiar with the reasons for the law. However, if Mr. Prasifka were prevented from holding oral hearings or decided as a matter of policy to stop holding oral hearings, could he do his work just as well at a lower cost?