Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

It is entirely indefensible that the Tánaiste was not correctly and fully briefed. I suggest that the only reason is that there was collusion at the top political and administrative level of the Department not to confront this issue. That is the reason she was not briefed and that is the legacy she inherited from the former Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Martin, whom she now protects. There is no point in giving the impression that the Travers report concluded that Ministers were in the clear. It does no such thing. People who are not familiar with reading senior Civil Service English might be led to believe that. It is in black and white that two Ministers of State knew about the situation and that the Secretary General talked to the Minister. The Tánaiste admits that there is a conflict of evidence between the Minister and his former Secretary General. She then tells us piously that she will not adjudicate. By God, she was never slow to adjudicate when she was over here. She never stopped adjudicating. Now she does not want to adjudicate when it is obvious that there was collusion in the Department at the highest level to avoid confronting this issue. They thought it would remain buried but it was raised on the Government side of the House. The Tánaiste sought to legislate retrospectively to make it legal. She played well and received great kudos for that. She has a protective shield around her that does not apply to the rest of us but at least she confronted the matter. I admit that, but how can she let it lie at that, pushing aside one civil servant for a bill that will cost the taxpayer, according to her, up to €2 billion? The Minister, Deputy Martin, continues to sit beside her and after all she said in Opposition, she is prepared to live with that.

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