Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

I regret that the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is not available to come to the House for the conclusion of this debate. I appreciate that he is busy today. The Minister promised that his predecessor as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy O'Donoghue, would contribute tonight but he has not done so.

I will try to be dispassionate and calm as I respond to the speech made last evening by the Minister, Deputy McDowell. His contribution can only be described as the performance of a performer. He was trained in his previous occupation to make a case when no case exists and to distract his audience, formerly a jury, from unpalatable truths. As Minister, Deputy McDowell is an excellent lawyer. He argued last night that this side of the House responded to the Morris report in "the white heat of outrage". There was no "white heat" of sudden revelation for those of us who have spent years pursuing the truth about the activities of certain gardaí in County Donegal. Our views and proposals, which have been shaped by years of careful analysis, were spelled out in this House more than four years ago. The mainstay of the Minister's shameful argument, which would not be out of place on Ballymagash urban district council, was the "youse did nothing" tack. That is simply a lie.

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