Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

Deputy McManus asked when the Progressive Democrats learned of the latest revelation. I would like to return to a question I posed on Wednesday as to when the Progressive Democrats learned of all that has been coming down the track with regard to what the Taoiseach has had to face over the past couple of weeks. The Taoiseach responded almost with incredulity.

I put that question to the Taoiseach again; is he any wiser today than he was 48 hours ago? When did the former Tánaiste learn of all the revelations that have come before public scrutiny in recent weeks with regard to the Taoiseach's affairs a number of years ago? Is the Taoiseach any more informed as to when that occurred? I believe, as many others do who have commented to me on it, that when the former Tánaiste sat with the Taoiseach she was aware of all of this and that was the genesis of her decision to vacate office when she did — a very unexplained decision.

I believe Geraldine Kennedy, the former Progressive Democrats Deputy and editor of The Irish Times, advised the former Tánaiste of what was coming down the tracks in this regard and that was what influenced her decision. Did the former Tánaiste inform or alert the Taoiseach to the information that had been brought to her attention? Can the Taoiseach throw any light on that relationship? If he knows anything at all, surely this is the place where the information should be brought to public light.

These are serious matters. When did the former Tánaiste and current Minister for Health and Children, who was the sole member of Cabinet who did not respond enthusiastically to the Taoiseach's statement a few days ago, know of all of this? Did she bring it to the Taoiseach's attention? If not, what is his reaction to the fact that a trusted member of his Cabinet, his then deputy and Tánaiste, had information of this nature and did not bring it to his attention? While everyone else is focusing on other details, these are matters we must consider. It is important we get to the genesis of this situation, irrespective of the decision of Geraldine Kennedy to destroy whatever information source she had and remove it from public scrutiny. The House should endeavour to learn and establish the full facts as to how all of this has come before the public gaze and why we are now spending day after day looking back on issues relating to the Taoiseach's previous conduct, by and large avoiding all the real and substantive issues why the Taoiseach and his colleagues in Government should now fold and go to the people.

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