Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The PDs voted down the opportunity to ask questions in the House yesterday. In respect of the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995, the Tánaiste proposes to bring in amendments to that Act which, in the first place, will ensure that Ministers in Government are not entitled to receive €100,000 interest free loans which apparently are not currently in breach of the Act. Does he intend to introduce an amendment to that Act which will allow him, as the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, to determine whether some Ministers in receipt of gifts, interest free loans or money are either ethically correct or unethically wrong? That is what he has done. His determination of the Taoiseach's action as being an honest error of judgment is simply incredible in his capacity as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Tánaiste and deputy leader of the Government. Is it the Tánaiste's intention to maintain his view that inequality is good for society and that inequality in the interpretation of the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995 and of the Cabinet regulations that applied before that, applied to some Ministers whom he determined were right in some cases and wrong in others?

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