Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

Professor Farrell refers in page three of his written statement to the Nyberg commission and states: "The Oireachtas is notably absent from this coverage, receiving only passing reference in the Commission of Investigation report where it is noted that one of the causes of a 'systematic financial crisis' is likely to 'a parliament that remains unaware of mounting problems'." Earlier in the same page, Professor Farrell states: "The consensus among academics writing about the Irish parliamentary process is that it is weak and ineffectual by comparatives standards." We will leave that hanging there for a moment.

We had evidence yesterday from Mr. Simon Carswell, the current Washington correspondent with The Irish Timesand an experienced financial and banking affairs journalist. In page three of his written document, he writes: "There are examples of politicians and public representatives getting involved in land speculation deals, building projects and property investments - in one notable case, in partnership with a major figure from banking - while continuing to serve as public representatives, right up to and during the economic crisis." In page two of his statement, he writes: "I would characterise the relationship between the major players in the property sector and construction industry and government, certain elected representatives and the banks - as well as the relationship between the government, the banks and financial supervisory authorities - as extremely cosy in the period leading up to the 2008 banking crash."

Does Professor Farrell believe that if politicians in the national Parliament had the relationships alleged by Mr. Carswell, the ideology or motivation that led to those relationships could supersede and pervert the workings of a national Parliament?