Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

Last week the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform during his brief flirtation imagining he was Desmond O'Malley said the one thing he wanted the Taoiseach to make clear was the identity of the donors at Manchester. However, the one thing the Taoiseach did not make clear yesterday was the identity of the donors at Manchester. Although at Ballyjamesduff the Taoiseach said he had been over there so many times that there was not a business organisation in Manchester that he had not spoken to and he knew these guys well, he seems to have resiled from that position. He named a person who is deceased and the gentleman who went on the television said it definitely was not a political donation. The Tánaiste stated in this morning's newspapers that the Taoiseach told him that he would reconstitute the list. Yesterday, the Taoiseach said more people from Manchester who think they were there contacted him than attended the original event. Is Deputy McDowell correct when he states that he expects the Taoiseach will reconstitute that list?

Second, the Minister seated beside the Taoiseach, Deputy Martin, who would defend anything, says there is no difficulty in this regard. He says anybody can go to Manchester, or to any function, and take any money for his or her personal benefit so long as he or she declares it.

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