Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

——in terms of how a Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform should act.

I remind Deputy Finian McGrath that I do not need support from him.

The Taoiseach has failed to supply the House with any coherent reason for the Minister's action. What was the threat to our democracy? The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform gave the reason to Seán O'Rourke on the "News at One" yesterday when he telephoned the programme to say, "I did that because on an RTE programme a couple of days previously, remarks had been made that there was no truth whatsoever in these questions". Does it not seem the case that the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, in a fit of pique, leaked this information to the Seán O'Rourke programme yesterday because he does not wish to have his version of events challenged by RTE? Has he not ensured now that there can never be a prosecution in this case because of a declaration of guilt before a court case has taken place?

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