Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

One cannot be sure, that is true. He is the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

I want to raise an issue of serious concern arising from the arrest of an investigative journalist in relation to the reporting of a leaked document, the report by Mr. George Bermingham SC into an issue raised on many occasions in the House by Deputy Rabbitte about Garda activity in respect of the death of Mr. Dean Lyons. With the arrest of this journalist we have moved to a position here where, effectively, there is an authoritarian regime arising from the Garda Act 2005 and the Minister's privacy Bill, which is being pushed through the Oireachtas. I find it somewhat "Irish", to be honest, that when the Fine Gael Party prepared a Private Members' Bill on the CC case, it was leaked to a national newspaper from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform confirmed he handed a copy of an application form for a passport to a journalist which was removed from a Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform file. In this case this journalist has been arrested. I would like to know from the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if this reporter's arrest arose from a complaint made by the Minister or by his Department to the Garda.

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