Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

That is very interesting. Having failed to get this information from the Taoiseach over the past number of weeks, and following our letter to the DPP, he gave me this information in the second bite of Leaders' Questions this morning when I could not respond. When the Taoiseach said other charges will be proffered against the 42 persons, surely it is beyond the bounds of probability that in each of the 42 cases other charges will be proffered. Is the Taoiseach saying, in respect of the 42 cases which is far in excess of anything we had anticipated up to now, that in all those cases, other charges will be proffered? In respect of the cases under section 2, is he saying there is less probability of a different charge being proffered?

When was the Taoiseach first alerted to this information which we have been seeking to extract since the crisis broke? The prospect that people charged under section 1(1) of the 1935 Act are unlikely to come to trial, and that it is dependent on other charges in the indictment, will cause alarm. Since I raised the matter this morning, has the Government or the relevant Department considered whether a motion will be brought before the House to establish the all-party committee on an appropriate basis? Are we just engaged in head-hunting to assist the Government in resolving a conflict very significantly of its own making? Will that committee have any statutory basis and will a motion be brought before the House?

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