Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

The Taoiseach has limited knowledge on this matter, as do I. He was not evasive in any sense and he did not attempt to muddy the waters at any time. He attempted to the best of his ability to answer the questions put by Deputy Rabbitte who, having sat at the Cabinet table, knows full well that the Taoiseach of the day is not and can never be acquainted with the intimate detail of any prosecution. We have an independent system of prosecutions in this country.

I will finish by making a very simple point. I reiterate my sympathy to the parents of Brian Murphy. I pass on my best wishes to a loyal servant of the State, Professor John Harbison, for all he has done for it. In this case, there is no conspiracy, there is no smoking gun and there is no appalling suppression of the truth or anything else. All Professor Harbison's testimony has always been generous. As I said, those who witnessed him testifying said that his testimony is characterised by an overweening willingness to concede the possibility that he is wrong. His testimony has been tested by skilled advocates in courts of law established under the Constitution. Therefore, I assure the House that this is not a case in which there is some concealment or disguising of what happened. We can learn lessons from this straightforward set of circumstances.

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