Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I am more interested in what I do for the future. As I outlined and as will be noted from the information I will circulate, what I can do is ensure the existence of procedures designed to make sure this does not happen again. I repeat that the aforementioned circumstances made no difference to the way the case was fought on behalf of the State. I reject the implication that they did because the people from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Chief State Solicitor's office did their utmost. They won the case in the High Court and lost in the Supreme Court. It will not take long for the all-party committee to make a decision.

I read every comment made by Members of the House last week and it seems everyone, including Deputy Kenny, accepted that there were broader issues to be considered, not legal issues but moral issues concerning social mores. It seems fair that responsibility for considering these issues in the round should be given to an all-party committee. I am not putting a time limit on that but, if it is deemed helpful, I will suggest some of the terms of reference on the basis of what we discovered in the past week. This should be considered and I am quite happy to do so.

I cannot change the past but I can report on it and highlight what has happened. I can update the report of 1995, which was prepared by three civil servants, and I can bring forward new procedures, which I am doing today.

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