Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Would Mr. Smyth say that the actions of the two parties concerned, by leaving themselves in a position where there are no minutes and they were the only two who participated in certain meetings and phone calls, have left the situation open to the view that there was potential for canvassing to take place which, of itself, would be a serious finding that would be damaging to the overall process? By Mr. Smyth not being able to say that canvassing took place, neither can he say that it did not. I would have thought - I am not a lawyer and there are members here more qualified than am I to comment on this - at a minimum it left the situation open to a perception that canvassing took place. As for bias, Mr. Smyth found the same, "apparent bias", and he used that term. We can say "apparent canvassing" or the potential for canvassing, or the perception of canvassing, which, in itself, would be a breach of the rules.