Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I want to raise with the Taoiseach the recent actions by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. For a person who set himself up in an organisation supposedly established to investigate matters of public interest, Mr. Frank Connolly has shown a marked reluctance to deal fully with serious questions that remain to be answered and the claims made about him. I do not believe he has fully addressed the questions put to him and it is past time that he came clean on these outstanding matters. When it comes to the protection of the State's security and the prevention of subversion of democracy, Fine Gael will stand four-square behind the Government and the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when appropriate action is being taken in the country's interest.

It is essential that such actions be appropriate and that they are in keeping with the integrity of the office of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The Minister, Deputy McDowell, has defended his recent actions on the basis that he believed a threat to the State's democracy and authority exists. If that is the case, will the Taoiseach say whether the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform informed him of this threat to our democracy? Did the Taoiseach consider making a statement to the House about this threat? Was a meeting of a Cabinet sub-committee called to deal with this threat? Were the Taoiseach and other members of the Cabinet and Government made aware that the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform intended to leak information deliberately to a particular journalist? Does the Taoiseach agree with the Minister that he has dealt with this threat to our democracy in a satisfactory way? Can the Taoiseach name or identify the organisation which is responsible for this threat to our democracy, given that the House has been informed on a number of occasions that the IRA is now out of business and that there is an end to criminality? These are fundamental questions that need to be answered clearly.

As I have said, in terms of the protection of this State in dealing with the subversion of democracy, this party will stand behind appropriate action by the Government and the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

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