Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)

On a day such as this, when we are debating a Taoiseach who tells incredible stories and uses language which ordinary people can barely, if ever, understand, it is worth quoting another famous Dubliner with a certain facility for language. Joyce told us history was a nightmare from which we must seek to awake. It seems Fianna Fáil is showing no signs of awakening from the nightmare of the cash culture and the debasing of politics we witnessed during the long Haughey era. Large sums of cash are taken for private use; there is stonewalling of a tribunal set up to investigate such matters and a procession of Ministers defending the indefensible. All-comers, including the media, Opposition parties and the tribunal are under attack from Fianna Fáil Ministers who insist on looking the other way.

Who are we talking about today? Is it the former Taoiseach, Charles Haughey, or the current Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern? What we are witnessing today is history repeating itself. Every Fianna Fáil Minister has now signed up to the version of events presented by the Taoiseach over four days in the witness stand at the Mahon tribunal. These are the same Ministers who stood before television cameras and radio microphones 12 months ago and stated a Minister for Finance taking large sums of cash for personal use was okay. Apparently, there is nothing wrong with it. At least we can say the acceptance by these Ministers of the incredible stories told in Dublin Castle this week is consistent with their acceptance of low standards last year.

What is every Fianna Fáil Minister signing up to? They are subscribing to a new standard in high office which accepts the lodgement of the equivalent of €300,000 in cash to the accounts of the Taoiseach over a two-year period. It accepts a constantly changing version of events as to the origin of these moneys as the tribunal established new facts surrounding the massive lodgements. They are signing up to accepting less than full co-operation with the inquiries of a tribunal, when we have seen that the Taoiseach was fully aware of the massive lodgements which interested the tribunal fully two years before he disclosed the information in private session. This cash culture within Fianna Fáil reached its peak in the Haughey years and is clearly still evident within the party today. If no Minister is prepared to state taking huge sums of money for personal use is wrong and, worse again, that the incredible stories being offered up by the Taoiseach in Dublin Castle are to be believed, we can say with certainty that absolutely no lesson has been learned.

This is not an isolated rogue incident involving an individual down on his luck. This is not a cautionary tale about modern life and marriage breakdown. This is a story about standards in public office and complying with the work of a tribunal. It is the story of a former Minister for Finance and the current Taoiseach telling stories under oath that are simply unbelievable. It is a story of Fianna Fáil Ministers stating nothing is wrong, that a good man is being hounded, that black is white and white is black. Years after Haughey we have a mostly different cast but we are getting the same script. Instead of principle we get vitriol. Instead of honesty we get dishonesty. Instead of acceptance of wrong-doing we get sustained, discredited attack. The dishonesty in accepting the unacceptable is matched by the dishonesty of the defence of the indefensible. It takes several forms.

One allegation is that the tribunal has failed to address the original allegations from Mr. Gilmartin regarding Mr. O'Callaghan's alleged payments. This is a complete falsehood. On the first day in the witness box tribunal lawyers put it to the Taoiseach that their investigations into large cash lodgements were a direct consequence of them pursuing the Gilmartin allegations involving sums of £30,000 and £50,000. These amounts appear in the Taoiseach's finances. I note the Taoiseach accepted this to be a reasonable line of inquiry. The O'Callaghan name was mentioned 67 times on the opening day of the Taoiseach's testimony.

Another argument is that these matters are all related to a very difficult time for the Taoiseach and concern his marriage break-up. The Taoiseach separated from his wife in 1987 and had been in a new relationship for several years before the cash lodgements under investigation occurred. The legal separation was finalised in November 1993, before any of the lodgements under investigation took place.

Another argument is that the Taoiseach has co-operated fully with the work of the tribunal but that it is dragging on, meaning he will be an old man before it is finished. This is complete and utter rubbish.

See this speech in context