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

It strikes me that there are two issues here. Everyone acknowledges the sensitivity and the caution which applies in making any comment on or criticising the Judiciary or anyone on the Bench. The actual issue Deputy Deasy raises is the concern over an instruction given to a senior official to apologise for a view which he expressed. If this committee sends a general letter it will, with respect to the system, receive a fudge in response. I hope I am not breaching anything by making that criticism. I would suggest that any correspondence by which we hope to gain clarification be hinged on the requirement on or the request to that senior official to write an apology. If the official had seriously overstepped and had identified an individual on the bench then I imagine other steps would have been taken, but I believe the point raised by Deputy Deasy is a fair one. It is ironic that there is a proposal for legislation around ethics and the conduct of public and elected officials. One of the problems stems from the culture within the system whereby raising a dissenting voice is frowned upon. Everyone recognises that this needs to be addressed. It is not in any way helpful if a senior official comes to an Oireachtas committee and gives a considered view and as a result gets a rap on the knuckles and is instructed to apologise. He was not making these comments on a bus or in a pub. It is a very worrying development which goes against the grain of what is being attempted by way of public sector reform.