Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

Will the Minister state clearly to the House when he knew first about this enormous problem? Did any Member of the House raise this issue with him? When did he become aware of the decision to seek definitive legal advice? Was it only when the Secretary General briefed him at the Gresham Hotel? Did the Minister hear the Tánaiste say that when Deputies Perry and Kenny raised this issue with her, she immediately sought the advice of the Attorney General? Why did he not do likewise?

Does he recall when the infirmity of the pharmacy regulations came up a year earlier that he personally directed that the Attorney General advise him and he immediately terminated the old regulations? Why break the pattern here? Why did he not go to the Attorney General in this case?

Why did he show disinterest in the comprehensive file? Why is it mentioned that it was in his outer office after the date in question? Did his advisers not consider this matter or bring it to his attention? Why is the file missing? Does the Minister know anything about that? Where is the file?

When the Minister says that he knows nothing about this, does he not accept that he is taking the people for fools? He proposes to tell them that the Department knew about this for years, since the 2001 legislation and the legal advice from the South Eastern Health Board, yet the Minister did not know anything about it. Does he believe it is credible to ask people to believe that? Does he think we are all fools? Does he intend to resign? If he does not intend to resign, does he acknowledge that he is a dead man walking as far as a Cabinet member is concerned?

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