Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Deputy Deasy sought the statistics that backed up the Minister's public comments. On 28 January, in a written reply, the Minister informed Deputy Deasy that the Garda Síochána had no statistics on the number of prosecutions secured under the Intoxicating Liquor Act. In a priority question last week, Deputy Deasy asked about the number of orders made under the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act. However, that question was disallowed by you, Sir, on the basis that the Minister had no responsibility to the House. That is what is fundamentally wrong with the way we do business here.

The late Mr. Justice Liam Hamilton stated clearly that if questions had been answered properly in the Dáil, there might not have been a need for as many tribunals as we have seen in recent years. The issue raised by Deputy Rabbitte earlier concerning effective Dáil reform is fundamental to the way we do our business and to the way people perceive politicians going about their work in the public interest.

I dislike intensely the situation that arises here continually whereby Ministers are absent or refuse to answer questions and the House is told that certain questions are not the responsibility of Ministers.

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