Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

Throughout his period in office, in so far as that coincided with my position as Attorney General, the then Minister, Deputy O'Donoghue, was most anxious at every hand's turn to have the truth of the McBreartys' allegations established by whatever means were available. In May 2001, he wrote to me in my capacity as Attorney General and asked me to advise him of his options in respect of establishing the facts by some process. He asked me to consider the possibility of a full tribunal of inquiry, a parliamentary committee or some other method. I replied to his letter and said I had not yet seen the Carty report and that I was labouring at a disadvantage on that account.

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