Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

However, I am not in a position to direct the commission to initiate a particular inquiry. This means that in a case where everybody in this House sought an inquiry into a particular matter, for example, I might not be able to initiate it. This is another reason for having an alternative means of inquiry. The commission might decide it is not its business to conduct a particular inquiry, perhaps because it does not consider it to be as serious as does the Oireachtas or because it takes one view or another of its area of competence or priorities. In such circumstances, I might be unable to direct that an inquiry be undertaken. That is what this section is all about.

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