Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I will abide by the Ceann Comhairle's ruling. The House meets today in extraordinary circumstances following an admission by the Taoiseach yesterday on national television that when he was Minister for Finance, he accepted €50,000 in donations.

The Office of Taoiseach is the most powerful political office in the land. It is one that should be respected by, have the confidence of and exercise its authority in the interests of the people. Its occupant should be above suspicion and the people expect his or her honour to be absolutely above reproach.

In the past week, the Office of Taoiseach has been damaged. It is wrong that a litany of the Taoiseach's colleagues at ministerial level have sought to deflect from the fundamental issue by drawing in emotional and traumatic circumstances the Taoiseach went through a number of years ago. Around 100,000 men and women have gone through the same traumatic experience. No Member on this side of the House has sought, by comment or otherwise, to draw any of the implications of this into this debate. Yesterday was a difficult day for the Taoiseach and I appreciate that. As I said, there are 100,000 others who have had similar experiences. The issue involved in last night's interview is not simply a matter of ethics, morality, codes or legislation. It is a fundamental principle, the simple issue of right and wrong. It is what we try to teach and instil in our children.

I wish to ask the Taoiseach two very simple questions. When he looks at the acceptance of €50,000 in cash donations, the appointments and the statements he made in this House about probity, perspective and not being beholden to business people financially, can the Taoiseach explain to me and to the nation how he is prepared to apply standards to himself that he is not prepared to apply to everybody else? Why is the standard applied to himself lower than it is for anybody else?

In view of the Taoiseach's interview yesterday, is he prepared to stand in this House, from the honoured seat he occupies, and admit that what he did in accepting €50,000 in cash donations was wrong? Is he prepared to say to the people, "Yes, I was wrong"?

See this speech in context