Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)

Tax evasion is condoned by keeping a member of the party outside the parliamentary party but still within the party. That is how Fianna Fáil did business in the 1980s and 1990s. It is crucial that the wrongdoers are found out and punished if we are to be sure that there is nothing rotten at the heart of Government today. It takes a special type of brass neck that is most prevalent in Fianna Fáil to abuse a position in Government for personal gain. We have seen too many compromises on the key issues of today to be sure that there is a strong moral compass in the Government. On too many occasions it appears the public loses out, particularly in the area where so much tribunal work is focused, especially in the building industry. It seems unlikely that house prices could have doubled in such a short span of time without the Government's implicit support. It is unconscionable to think that there could still be corruption in an area which is under the spotlight today.

Much of the time delay in the tribunals has been as the result of deliberate tactics to slow them down and the actions of defence lawyers. Serious questions must be raised about the actions of individuals who have not allowed the tribunals to see the full picture. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform may wish to take note of comments in the media and this House, suggesting that the issue of costs with which he says he is attempting to deal through legislation, may better be dealt with through reform of the profession of which he is a member. Tribunals are expensive because the legal profession is paid far too much. Instead of tackling the vested interests, with whom no doubt the Minister is on personal terms, he has attempted to further denigrate the tribunal process by suggesting that the nature of the tribunals is at fault. The fault lies with the greed of the vested interests. If this Government was serious about reducing costs of tribunals and litigation, the Minister would be leading a campaign to reform the legal profession. He wants instead to treat the symptoms rather than the cause. I thank Mr. Justice Flood for the work he has done in this regard.

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