Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)

I thank Deputy Costello for giving me some of his very limited time. As a Donegal Deputy for almost a quarter of a century, I cannot be accused of jumping on every available bandwagon. However, I agree with the case which has been made so well by the Deputy. I reflect the opinion of most reasonable people in Donegal who I meet in my everyday line of duty.

The McBrearty family has gone through so much over the past eight years. They have been wrongly accused of murder, had their premises raided and their son was obliged to make a bogus confession to murder. There are a myriad of other points which I cannot go into but the Minister is aware of them all. The family has a basic human requirement, namely, legal representation.

I have only been in the courts once in my life. It is intimidating to go in and see the benches of legal people, senior counsel, barristers, solicitors and legal brains of this country. Frank McBrearty senior is an ordinary man. He emigrated at the age of eleven and earned enough money to start a small business in a Border town. He has survived thus far, although his finances and health must be in a very precarious state. The man must have the constitution of a horse.

I am told that some sort of legal technicality prevents the family from getting this basic right. I do not know whether it is in the Minister's power. I have no other agenda. I am a Deputy in the county although the family is not in my constituency. The Minister is one of the top legal men in the country. Surely some device is available to crack this nut and let the inquiry continue. The findings will be devalued and tarnished if the inquiry carries on without the McBreartys being represented.

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