Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Accusations have been made that this committee is biased. I refute that; I do not think that it is biased. There is no doubt but that there are individual members sitting on the committee who have a bias, but as a committee we are not biased. An assertion has also been made that only three pro-life members sit on this committee, something I think certain other members here would dispute. The fact that these members have not stood outside the gates of Leinster House giving press conferences, because they have been in here carrying out their role on the committee by questioning witnesses, does not make them pro-choice. I do not consider myself pro-choice, for example, or indeed pro-life at this stage. I am realist and I am going on the factual evidence presented to this committee.

Deputy Mattie McGrath made a particular comment that needs to be addressed. He suggested that the clerk of the committee informed him that 24 pro-repeal groups had appeared before us. I am aware that the clerk cannot speak at these meetings and it is thus unfair to quote him here when he cannot defend himself. I cannot speak for the clerk but I very much doubt that he gave Deputy McGrath that information and I find it very unfair of the Deputy to make an accusation like this in the knowledge that the clerk cannot correct him. The Deputy also claimed that the clerk had told him that four pro-life groups had appeared before us. Not only have he and Senator Mullen questioned the role of the Chairman, they are now questioning the role of the clerk of this committee, something I consider to be absolutely disgraceful. Their behaviour in this committee has been downright disgraceful.

Senator Mullen's comments today were also disgraceful when he claimed that there was no time to ask questions and that more time should have been given. Other than the first two meetings, which I was had to miss due to ill health, I have attended every single meeting and listened to every single witness who presented here. I may not have asked questions of every single witness but I listened to their evidence, unlike Senator Mullen and Deputy McGrath who did not attend every session and were not present for every witness. I do not know how they now claim that they did not have sufficient opportunity to question witnesses. Witnesses appeared before this committee and gave evidence that Senator Mullen and Deputy McGrath did not even hear, never mind question, because they were too busy trying to propagate the idea that this committee is biased. I put it to Senator Mullen that the only biased person here is Senator Mullen himself. This committee is not biased.