Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)

What this Deputy wishes for, on behalf of the Labour Party, is full accountability. We were promised full accountability by the Taoiseach and were promised final accountability by the Progressive Democrats. We have received neither. Instead, we have the truth dripping day by day because the media is giving it to us. That is what is happening.

The Taoiseach had plenty of time to tell us who the people were who attended the dinner in Manchester and gave him thousands of pounds. If his memory was faulty in a particular case, he had plenty of time to check out the details, but all he could do was come up with two names out of 25. It is beyond belief that he was incapable of remembering the name of Micheál Wall. Why did he not give this House the name of Micheál Wall, who is presumably the person who sold the Taoiseach his home? Any member of the public can remember who sold him or her his or her home. However, we somehow have an individual here who does not have that capacity of memory. That does not stack up.

The Taoiseach must tell us now who was at that dinner and whether he has any record of any other business transactions with any of those individuals. That is what full accountability requires. Why is it the Taoiseach continues to humiliate the Tánaiste and make a ship of fools of his junior Government partners in the Progressive Democrats Party? What is the purpose behind his failure to come in here and give a full account of himself in the public interest? When did the Progressive Democrats know about this latest revelation?

We have sat here and asked questions, but have not received the answers the public requires of the Taoiseach. It is important that the truth will out in this arena, otherwise questions will continue to be raised. We are the last people who want to keep raising them.

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