Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)

Like previous speakers, I wish to recognise the immense contribution made by Deputy Bertie Ahern as Taoiseach during the past ten years. I agree with Deputy Mansergh in one respect only, namely, that the Taoiseach's contribution to the peace process has been extraordinary. As I stated repeatedly in the Upper House during my five-year term there, we must recognise the Taoiseach's contribution.

Be that as it may, however, we are faced with a motion of no confidence in the Taoiseach of this country. In that respect, the issue is bigger than the person who occupies the office of Taoiseach. The issue relates to standards in public office and whether people believe the version of events that Deputy Bertie Ahern has related to the tribunal and placed in the public domain. If the people do not believe the version of events — it is my opinion that they do not — put forward by the Taoiseach, there is only one course of action for him to take and that is for him to resign. Failing that, it is the constitutional responsibility of the Opposition to table a motion of confidence in Deputy Bertie Ahern. That is what we are doing.

I wish to deal first with one of the issues raised by Deputy Mansergh, who referred to the separation of powers. Let us be clear about this. A tribunal of inquiry is not a separate court of the land. A tribunal is an animal of the House, it reports to the House, it is provided with its functions by the House and it is caused by the House.

I was very interested to hear the bleatings from the Minister for Defence, Deputy O'Dea, who said we should leave the tribunals alone and give them the space and time to report. The Fianna Fáil benches did not give that opportunity to the late Deputy Liam Lawlor whose circumstances were such that they demanded his resignation on the evidence that came to light at the tribunal at the time. There is a certain changing of the guard and the argument made by the benches opposite tonight to suit their particular circumstances.

The problem is this. Someone walks into the office and plops down £30,000 in sterling and punts, as I understand it, in front of the former Minister for Finance and soon to be leader of his great party, an accountant and a person of standing who knows what cash means to Revenue and the economy and this does not sound alarm bells in his mind. He does not see a problem and puts the money in a safe. I submit that this is a problem of credibility as the people, despite all the bleatings of the Deputies opposite, know full well. The people have lost confidence in the Taoiseach. The real problem is had this been known at the time about Charles Haughey or an allegation been made against former Deputy Albert Reynolds, they would have been gone by 5 p.m. The reason, in the words of the former manager of Chelsea Football Club who thinks he is something special, this politician believes he does not have to account in the same way is that he is, of course, hugely popular, as we all know.

It is time to bring this issue to a head. In respect of whether the Opposition dealt with this matter properly or well in the past 12 months, the jury is possibly still out on that subject. We may well have done things differently. Perhaps we did not do the right thing at the right time but this is the time, following the evidence, testimony, cross-examination and incredible explanations given, to cause the motion to be moved and put it to a vote in the House.

See this speech in context