Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I should tell the witnesses that some of us have had experiences over many years. For example, it is not at all unusual to put down a legitimate parliamentary question on some subject regarding an activity or individual in some Department to deal with an issue which may have lain dormant for some time. The question, though, may be refused as inappropriate under this heading and it may be stated that it is necessary to seek the information via a different route, which I do not accept at all, of course. Subsequent to the question being put, however, even though it was never answered, action might well have been taken to address the issue immediately. What does that tell us? I agree with the witnesses entirely. I and many other members put down countless parliamentary questions in the Dáil about all the issues which ended up in the public arena. They had not been raised before because they were not allowed to be raised. I have a strong aversion to that, as do all public representatives, including the members who have contributed today. We must be fair about this. We cannot be one-sided or unfair about this subject. Professor Murphy referred to some of the American states having had concerns after some years in the context of similar legislation operating there. What were those concerns or what did they find out?